The Prince of Shadows
by Dignityy
Summary: She's the Praetor of Camp Jupiter. He's the Prince of Chaos's Kingdom. Everything separates them and yet their destinies are bound. War and love will change each one of them. Dark!Percy and Percy/Reyna.
1. Prologue

**Prologue.**

* * *

Son of Darkness

φ

_"Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that."_

\- Martin Luther King.

* * *

He walked toward the entrance of the castle, its black walls so high they seemed to reach the stars above his head. The soldiers at the golden doors knelt when he walked past them with a look of disdain in his green eyes. His whole person radiated confidence; the way his feet met the ground and the way his emotions were guarded and unreadable. There were only two things distinguishable in him: power and pride. And it was so imposing that everyone felt the need to drop their gaze and take interest in the floor underneath them. Everything about him was intimidating. His grandfather was sitting on his throne where rubies and diamonds shone like stars in the night sky. There was no resemblance between the two of them; only the crown on their heads and the feeling of an overwhelming power made it clear they shared the same blood. The boy knelt at his grandfather's feet and bowed his head.

"Rise, son."

"You asked for me, my Lord?" The boy asked as he stood up. He was now taller than his grandfather and in fact, taller than most of the men in the kingdom. But his height wasn't the reason why people feared him.

"Indeed. As the Prince and my most trusted advisor, you will have to meet someone important on my behalf." The boy nodded, even though his grandfather wasn't really asking for his approval. "An assembly will be waiting for you in San Francisco."

"And who will have the pleasure to work with?" Little did he do to hide the sarcasm in his question.

"Soldiers of Gaia."

He nodded, a simple gesture to show his acceptance. He then turned his back on the man seated on the huge black throne that one day will be his. He hadn't often travelled to Earth, he had maybe been given this chance twice in his long life. He had much to do here given his status as the Prince. He had an army to rule, people to kill and women to please. He left the throne room without another word and just a last glance in his King's direction.

If Gaia was rising, it would be bad news for the Gods. But considering the fact that he wasn't under their influence and had nothing to do with them, their fates wasn't one of his preoccupation. But he couldn't say that seeing Gaia overthrowing them would satisfy him, actually it would pretty much be the opposite. From what his father had told him back in the days when he was still living in the Kingdom, Gaia was a greedy and ambitious woman. The type of person that is only interested in power. On top of that, he thought the human kind didn't deserve this end. They were quite fun to observe and to play with sometimes, where was the fun in killing some of them and turn the rest into slaves? But it wasn't his place to give his opinion. So he walked toward his own little palace that he called home, nodding to the few people he knew and liked. He stepped inside his wide room with its black walls, golden bed and furniture to get ready to leave.

"Going somewhere?" Asked a mischievous feminine voice behind his back. He sighed at the sound of her voice, knowing perfectly why she was here.

"Mother."

"I asked you something."

"The King ordered me to go on Earth for some time."

He felt her gaze boring into his back but didn't turn around as he put his armour on. "For what reason?"

"A meeting with Gaia's forces I believe."

"Huh," she came closer, resting her hand on her son's broad shoulder. "Be careful son. I never liked that woman much."

"Yeah I figured. She isn't particularly a family's friend."

"Not the main reason. She's manipulative and powerful."

"Mother, will all due respect I can handle myself." He snapped at her and her brows furrowed, slightly annoyed by the harsh tone.

"That's not what I meant, Perseus."

"I have to go Nyx. I will be back soon." He only used her name when he was annoyed or angry, which in this case was a little bit of both.

He turned his back to her and left his room, finding his Pegasus at the palace's entrance, with his dark sword at his waist, his bow on his back and his armour on, he left Chaos' Kingdom without a single idea when he would come back.

Little did he know that nothing was going to be how he planned it.

* * *

**A.N :** New story. This is just a simple introduction so it might not be very interesting. But I'm excited for this one, I really am. If some of you read The Grisha Trilogy, I got inspired by the Darkling's character for Percy. Hopefully you will enjoy this. Because I'm so going to have fun with this new story.


	2. PART I

**PART I.**

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**Chapter 1.**

Ray of Darkness

ℂ

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"These woods are lovely, dark and deep,  
But I have promises to keep,  
And miles to go before I sleep,  
And miles to go before I sleep."  
― Robert Frost, _Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening._

* * *

Reyna was walking through the woods, careful to step aside every little branch or dead leaf that might give away her position, imitated by her cohort behind her. It's been an hour since Jason had come to see her in her office, panting and sweating, informing her that a group of monsters was at the door of New Rome. So here she was, and here they were, ready to fight and protect what was theirs.

As soon as she passed the edge of the woods, she knew something was wrong even though she couldn't exactly tell what. It was a feeling, one that tighten your chest and makes it hard to breathe; one that makes you hair rise on your arms and at the back of your neck. She felt like she was being watched and she kept looking everywhere, examining every tree, every branch and every form but there was no one here except her and her soldiers. But she couldn't erase this unconformable thought that an evil presence was lurking somewhere in those woods and was observing them from the shadows. Despite all this, she kept walking.

After a few minutes, shouts were heard from a few meters of the group. Voices rose in the silence and the Praetor recognized humans voices and words as well as roars so unhuman she had to suppress a shiver. And just when she started turning to her soldiers, the silence was back again. But this one was different. It fell like thunder, dangerous and sudden, leaving a heavy atmosphere. She held her breath, afraid that someone would hear it, and turned again to look in front of her. And her heart stopped at the sight of what was coming toward her. No monster or army but a dark wave made of shadows and smoke, so fast she didn't have the chance to move a single muscle. She found herself swallowed by darkness before she could take another breath. The dark was so absolute she couldn't even see her hands in front of her or the tree on her left. She still could hear the breathing of her cohort, and she prayed no one was harmed. She had no idea what was going on, but she knew that it was nothing good. She tried to walk, her arms outstretched in front of her to avoid bumping into a tree, or a monster. But the darkness was everywhere, and it seemed to be seeping into her, slowly and dangerously.

She realized too late that her foot had bumped into something on the ground and she fell, face first on the ground. She tried to not make any noise so the monsters wouldn't be able to locate her, even though she was pretty sure they couldn't see no more than she could. She turned around, trying to touch the thing she had tripped on. She felt smooth hair underneath her fingers, and definitely a head with a nose and an open mouth. And it was wet. She didn't need light to know that it was blood. She stifled a scream when she felt another one a meter away. And another one. All the bodies were definitely humans but large and tall, still and lifeless. Whoever did this, made sure they had known what real pain was before exhaling their last breath.

After what felt like an eternity, the sun reappeared above her, slowly but it was such a relief that she didn't care. She watched the light coming back and lighting her cohort's faces, full of anxiety and apprehension. She savoured the warmth on her skin. It was like coming out of a nightmare, coming out of the Underworld. Then her eyes looked down. She heard someone scream but she wasn't sure if it was her or another girl from her cohort. Dozens of corpses were lying on the floor that was now a pool of blood and dust. It was an awful sight to see, and just like that, she was back in that nightmare.

She wondered who - or what - could have done this. Could have done this much damage in so little time. It seemed like minutes away when Reyna had heard the loud voices disturbing the calm of the woods and interrupting the songs of the birds. She tried to look around, searching for a clue, for anything really that might help her understand.

And that's when she saw him.

At first she thought that it was just another body. Then that she was hallucinating. That the wave of darkness might have destroyed the little sanity she had left.

But even after blinking three, five and eight times he was still there. Lying on his side and looking so alien.

A golden crown with rubies and diamonds, who must have been neatly screwed on his black hair minutes before, was now on the ground, bloody and muddy resting at his side. He looked dead with his pale skin as if it had never known the warmth of the sun, his eyes closed and the lifeless shape of his body. He looked so dead that she thought for a minute or two that he actually was.

She made a step toward him then another one but he didn't move a single muscle. He was entirely dressed in black, with gold on his coat and fur all around its collar. She then realized that he was hurt, a circle of blood on his black shirt slowly seeping into the ground and the dead leaves. She walked to him, still nervous and still careful, repeating, almost chanting to be careful, that he might not be dead and he might kill her the second her stretched hand touched him. But nothing happened. She checked his pulse, letting her cold fingers rest at the side of his neck. His skin was hot, too hot, and his pulse too fast under it. Her eyes travelled up to his face to search for other bruises. His face was all hard and sharp angles, with violence written all over its features. He was handsome in a dangerous way as others were cute with dimples or chubby cheeks. She stopped, her body hovering over his harmed one and she felt the eyes of her cohort behind her, all looking at the teenager laying on the cold hard ground. She heard the whispers but took no interesting in them. How stupid it was to remark such beauty in such situation.

"Reyna?" The voice startled her and she turned around to face Hazel, her eyes wide and worried. "Who is he?"

"I don't know Hazel. I have no single idea."

She turned back to take a long look at his body, wondering what she was supposed to do now. But if he was here, if he was the only one still alive, he must know what had happened here and if he dared lying, her dogs could still eat him alive.

"Frank, Jacob, would you please take him?" She asked to the two boys, known for their strength and muscles even though one of them had the face of a baby, "we will heal him at camp and interrogate him there."

ℂ

But things didn't go as she thought they would. The wounded boy never woke up from his deep sleep. The sons of Apollon made him drink nectar to heal his wounds but after two days, the mysterious boy was still sound asleep. At first she stayed beside his bed, hoping that his eyes would open but no such thing happened in more than forty-eight hours. So she went back to her usual life, training and ruling the camp.

Everyone had heard about the sleeping boy dressed in black, and suppositions were going fast: that he was a son of Pluto since resemblances with Nico could be noticed; same pale skin and same dark clothes, or that he was some kind of disguised monster or a king because of his golden crown. But none sounded plausible. He didn't have Nico's aura, his was darker and more powerful, scarier even. He had the blood of a god in his veins, that much was known thanks to the nectar that healed his wounds. But no one had any idea who his parent could be. Logic would say Pluto, Lord of the Underworld but he inspired violence like Mars' child could, and power like Jason, son of Jupiter. He was an enigma that Reyna had to solve. The sooner the better.

The sun was already hiding at the horizon when she entered the infirmary, her eyes immediately moving toward the bed where the boy was lying, his eyes still closed. She sat cross-legged on the chair beside his bed and watched as his eyes moved behind his eyelids. She sighed in defeat and started to sharpen her blade, the sound relaxing her. Her head snap up when she saw the boy moving. His fingers were grabbing the sheet and she immediately put her sword away and moved closer to him. She wanted so bad to see his eyes opening that she thought for a second that they were. That he was awake and that he would answer all the questions which she was dying to find answers to. But his eyes remained closed, and she waited for a couple minutes, her heart beating so fast that it threatened to explode in her chest. But then his hand relaxed and it was like nothing happened at all. He was back in his deep sleep.

"Reyna I–" the voice stopped abruptly, and she recognized it as Nico's. He had been away for a long time, doing the Gods knows what, and even before Reyna brought the boy to camp, so obviously he had no idea who he was and what he was doing here. "What in Tartarus…" He stopped in the middle of his sentence again and stepped forward. Reyna met his eyes and she saw mixed feelings there: recognition, fear and curiosity. "What is he doing here?"

"You know who he is?"

"Oh we all do from where I come from. He's the Prince of Chaos' Kingdom, his heir and grandson. Son of Nyx, goddess of Night and Erebus, god of Darkness and King of a part of the Underworld."

Reyna realized she wasn't dealing with a simple demigod but with a God. A son of two primordial deities and the heir to Chaos's Kingdom. She realized that maybe, just maybe, it had been a mistake to bring him to camp.

"If you had had one single idea who he was and what he was capable of, you would have never brought him here." Nico seemed to read her thoughts and she nodded at his words.

She could feel the power radiated by the god, it seemed to hit her like a warm and overwhelming wave. But there was something else underneath that feeling. Maybe fear, maybe apprehension. Or maybe something totally different. But this was her camp. Her house. And she wouldn't - couldn't - let herself be afraid of a guest. God or not. On the other hand, she could admit that something about him was intriguing, captivating. She could at least do that.

"Where did you find him?"

"In the woods," she answered absently, "he's been harmed and we brought him here to heal him."

"Well you should bring him back where you find him. He's a threat to the entire camp." He exhaled a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. "Hell…" he muttered and looked at the Prince.

She knew deep down that the Prince would stay here until he was able to decide himself if he wanted to leave or stay. Moreover, he was a god and it wouldn't be a wise decision to leave him in the woods to bleed out when she could have helped him. And Reyna was the queen of wise decisions. "I will keep him here until he wakes up. Until then, no one touches him. Get it?"

"You're making a mistake Reyna."

"Maybe I am. But I take this decision entirely on my responsibility. If something happens, it will be my fault. As I said, until he's unconscious, _no one_ lay a finger on him." This was a warning, almost a threat but Nico was smart enough to know when to back off. "Good. Now, what did you come for?"

"I heard about what happened in the woods and I wanted to talk to you about it. But I have my answer now."

"What do you mean?"

"He did this." He nodded to the sleeping Prince, "one of his many powers."

She had figured. Only a god could do such things; demigods or monsters had no abilities like this one. She looked at Nico, his pale face and dark circles under his eyes, and realized that he was just as scared for her as he was for the rest of the camp. Reyna had pushed away the opinions of others and got to know this kid, realizing that he was nothing like she expected him to be. Sure he liked to be alone most of his time and was different from all her friends, but different wasn't always a bad thing. And with time, Nico learned to appreciate her presence, which was more than she could have ever hoped for.

"You fear him." It wasn't really a question, more of a statement.

"You should too." He simply replied, his eyes still glued to the Prince's face. "You will learn to once he wakes up."

"I've done nothing to offense him or hurt him. I believe that he has no reason to harm me or the camp."

"See," he turned to look at her, black meeting black, "that's where you're wrong. As the son of Pluto I know how he's like. I met his father a couple of times and some told me that his son was ten times worse. You have no idea what that means, but I do. The Prince is no man. He's only darkness." He breathed rapidly as if the oxygen was running out his lungs, "he knows no boundaries and has no sense of right and wrong. He will kill you if he wants to. End of the story."

"Then I guess I will have to see it by myself."

ℂ

The chilly air of the night made her shiver as she walked through the quiet New Rome, the need of the comfort of her bed and the warmth of her cabin making her legs speed up. But once under her blanket, sleep seemed such a distant thing, such an abstract concept. Her thoughts wander over the Prince, his hand gripping the sheet, the unknown colour of his eyes and the shape of his body on dead leaves. She thought about the wave of darkness in the woods and the one surrounding her in her cabin. And strangely, she wasn't afraid now and she hadn't been afraid then. Without realizing it, she was up and her feet were moving under her. She knew where she was going, she just had no idea why.

When she entered the room, his body was still lying on the bed but when she stepped forward, she became aware that the Prince's eyes were open. Blue and green swimming with black, was all she could see. It was beautiful and yet so unnatural. Nothing about him was. He looked too good to be true; to be human. His eyes rested on her face with clear distrust and violence like a storm ready to swallow you whole. She wanted to speak but the words died in her throat as his eyes travelled up and down her body. They were so cold and calculating that it made the hair on the back of her neck rise up. She felt so fragile under his gaze, like a little girl being in a giant's company. She desperately wanted to say something, to break the heavy silence compressing her body and making her brain buzz.

"Daughter of Bellona." He simply said, his voice cold like ice. "You answered me, I see."

She shuddered at the thought that he might have been the one to make her walk to the infirmary. "Why am I here?"

"I called you. And you came."

He sat up and if his body hurt in any way, he didn't show it a single second. He was deadly handsome but in a dangerous way, the one that leaves you speechless and shivering. Without really thinking, she sat on the chair beside him and she felt his gaze following her every step and movement. It was like his eyes were digging a hole in her chest.

"What do you want?"

"I should ask you the same. You brought me here for a reason. Haven't you?"

"I have. But I'm sure your questions would still be present in the morning."

"Correct but I knew you were awake, so I called you." She frowned a little and felt uneasiness wash over her as the realization that she had been watched by the Prince dawned on her. And as if he could feel it too, he smiled a little and she saw victory and mockery in the gesture. "But I guess I should thank you for bringing me here and healing me, even though I would have been fine on my own."

"I don't doubt it. Especially after what you did in the woods." She snapped, images of the scenery appearing behind her eyelids.

"I did what I had to." His glare intensified, almost too much for Reyna to stare back. "You demigods protect yourself every day by killing monsters. Isn't that the same thing I did?" He said in a cool and flat voice.

"You killed demigods," she reminded him, her tone accusing but she could still hear the uncertainty underneath.

"Never said I didn't."

"We have values. We protect our people and our city. You can't say the same thing about yourself."

"Reyna," he replied with a dangerous tone, "I gave your people and your city a little bit more time. So don't look down on me like I'm some common demigod."

She opened her mouth, ready to answer him as coldly as he had. But then she realized what he had just declared. "Wait," her tone betraying the apprehension she felt in her chest, "what do you mean?"

"A war is coming Praetor. And you will have to be ready for it."

ℂ

In the morning, she woke up on her bed, her feet dirty and the memory of the Prince's voice still echoing in her mind. She met him at the infirmary, where he was still sitting on the bed and brought him out on New Rome's streets where the wind swam in his dark hair and made him dark cloak float around him. They walked side by side, with no sound except for the chatter of the demigods and the screams of little kids around them, toward the auditorium where they were waited.

She noticed the menacing glare he offered to anyone who dared looking at him for too long. She also noticed the way everyone whispered when he walked by them and the way they moved out of his way when he was too close, as if they feared his touch might turn them into ashes. Reyna became more and more annoyed, thinking that all these people were making fools of the Romans who should not fear anyone or anything. And here they were, frightened and openly showing it. She understood the influence the Prince had on people, she was aware of it since she was scared of him too, but she had the decency of hiding it. Pride, that's what it was called. If the Prince thought anything about the Romans and their behaviours, he said nothing about it which Reyna was grateful for. She had no idea how she would have reacted if he had insulted her people.

Multiple times, her eyes wander over him, with his crown on his head and his black cape floating behind him. She found similarities between his cape and her own, except for the way it was tied around his neck with fur, from fox or wolf she couldn't tell, protecting the skin there from the cold and a golden half-moon symbol resting on his chest like a necklace. The velvet it was made of seemed so rich that it made her cape look like garbage. It covered his strong arms and barely touched the ground, hiding the dark sword at his hip. She turned away, aware that she was staring.

Once arrived at the building, they entered and when the doors opened and the two stepped in, every pair of eyes turned to look at them. Both didn't seem to mind, as if they were accustomed to this type of entrances. They walked down the stairs, the gazes of every person in the room following them as they made their way to the front where a table and two chairs were, one of them occupied by Jason who was looking at them warily. Reyna stopped in front of the table, the Prince beside her and Jason came to her other side.

"Romans." She spoke loudly so everyone could hear her, even the ones in the far back of the full room. "Today, I have someone special to present you. This is the Prince of Chaos's Kingdom, his heir and grandson. He's here today to warn us about a war coming." Whispers erupted between the Romans, and people stared at the Prince with worry and anger. "Silence!" She yelled but her voice was drowned in all the noise. She looked at every face, every emotion written on them, and found herself embarrassed by the lack of authority she held over her own people.

She felt the Prince's gaze on her like a heavy weight in her chest, and she fought not to meet it. He would have recognized the embarrassment and the annoyance in her dark eyes. He would have mocked it. But as the thought passed her mind, shadows gathered in every corner of the room and soon enough, they took flight and turned over the Romans' heads. The silence fell once more and Reyna couldn't help but smile and this time, she met his green eyes where no mockery was. Some soldiers screamed in surprise while others took out their weapons, a reflex earned after years of training.

"Can we continue now, gentlemen?" Asked Reyna with sarcasm obvious and a bit menacing.

"About three days ago," the Prince started when the attention was back on the three "I was ordered to come up on Earth to meet Gaia's forces, the goddess of Earth." He paused for a second, as if he waited for everyone to register the news, "she is waking and gathering an army at the exact moment we're speaking. Her army asked me to join their cause: to eradicate demigods' from the Earth, overthrow the Gods and take over Olympus. Soon they will be twice more than your entire army." He glanced at Reyna and continued, "that's why I'm here today. To help you win this war."


	3. Chapter 2

Sorry for the wait, friends. Hope you enjoy this.

* * *

**Chapter 2.**

Moon of Darkness

ℂ

* * *

"_Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster._

_And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you._"  
― Friedrich Nietzsche.

* * *

"You never told me what really happened there."

Reyna's voice seemed to wake him from his reflexion and he turned away from the Romans walking down the stairs of the amphitheatre, to face the Praetor.

"Because there's not much to say. They asked me if I wanted to join them, I refused and they tried to kill me. That's it." He answered with a cool voice even though the subject of their conversation was nothing but a normal and ordinary problem.

"Why did you refuse?" It was a question she had been asking herself for some time now. The Prince had every reason to accept; he had no bond with the Gods nor with the humans whatsoever and after a long life like his, a war would surely be a mere distraction, a way to pass the time.

"Why do you ask so many questions?" He snapped without glancing at her.

"Because you don't say anything. So what choice do I have, other than trying to force the answers out of you?"

"Shutting your mouth." He smiled when she sent him a murderous glare. "That's an option."

"Be careful, Prince. You might be a God and might be ten times more powerful than I am, but you are still in my city and so, still under my authority. If I were you, I would watch my words." Her tone was back to the cold and bossy one she used with her soldiers and her men in general. She realized that, perhaps, she had been too kind with this new guest.

"Please, Reyna. No need to be offended." He smiled and gave her a last quick look before stepping down the stairs. She watched him, the confidence in his steps and in how straight his shoulders were. The Romans still sent him curious and fearful glares but he didn't seem to realize, or he didn't care. Probably the latter. She groaned of frustration and followed him.

This boy was definitely an enigma. And a captivating one.

"You won't change your mind about the war, right?" She questioned as she walked by his side.

"Why would I?" He answered without looking at her, "I chose my side, as one shall always do in time of war, and I will stick to it."

"So why are you leaving?"

This time he glanced at her, and because of whatever he had seen in her eyes or heard in her voice, he stopped and Reyna realized that she was apprehending his response. "As you must know, given your position, I have duties to fulfil back in my kingdom. I can't stay here forever or at least until the war is over. I have a home and a people waiting for me."

She hadn't expected that. Now that he had sworn to help them, she figured he would stay here. But thinking about it a second time made it sound stupid. Why would he stay here, when he probably had an entire palace just for him in his Kingdom? She couldn't help the feeling of betrayal rising in her throat, tasting like ashes on her tongue. She realized that the Prince was still looking at her, waiting for her reply. "Oh." Was all that she managed to articulate, for which she cursed herself a dozen times in her head.

"Look," he started before resting a hand on her shoulder, "Me staying here is not a good idea. I'll only bring you troubles. After all, I am trouble myself." He smiled as if he was pleased with his own statement and Reyna couldn't bring herself to disagree with him. Because from what Nico had told her the day before, he _was_ trouble. But she couldn't shake the feeling that he owed her, for saving him, for defending him. Before she could say it out loud, she realized that he owed her nothing. He was going to fight for them, he was going to save them all. She owed him. Not the other way around.

"Alright." She replied silently after a few seconds of hesitation. She wasn't going to try to convince him. But she knew it: she didn't want him to go. "When are you coming back?"

His reaction was the opposite of what she thought, there was no sarcasm in his voice, only sincerity. "Soon." He gave her a small smile before beginning to walk again. "Oh, I almost forgot." He turned to face her and reached the back of his neck with his hands, removing a thin golden chain from around his neck which was hidden underneath his shirt. He took Reyna's hand and put the chain in her palm. It had a small black crescent moon as a pendent. His skin touching hers created a fire in her body, so violent that she flinched for a second. The heat was traveling down her veins and igniting every inch of her skin. He didn't seem to notice it as he closed her fingers on the necklace. "If you need anything." And just like that, he was gone. She stood there, watching the spot where he had been standing a second ago. Now that his touch was gone, she could feel the coolness rushing back in her body. She had no idea what had just happened, and if he had felt it too. But if he had, he had given no reaction whatsoever.

Now that he was gone, she felt hollow. Something was definitely missing. But she decided that she simply became accustomed to his presence and now that he was gone, it felt strange.

"Reyna!" A voice shouted behind her. She turned to face a running Jason, his eyes wide and she didn't need to ask him what had happened, she knew it was bad. He finally stopped running and he looked at her with concern in his blue eyes. "We have a problem."

ℂ

The problem in question was right in front of her. She looked at the group of monsters facing her, with smirks on their disgusting faces. There were Cyclops, empousai and many others, some that she had never even encountered before. Once again, finding monsters so close to the city made her anxious and wonder about what was really happening in the outside world. Now that she knew Gaia was waking, she was almost sure this was her doing. And Reyna didn't like it. Even if the camp was protected by magical barriers, she didn't want to find out in the hard way if the monsters could enter or not.

Jason was the first to attack, using his power over the wind and thunder to fry a few enemies and scatter some others. Taking advantage of their short destabilization, Reyna ran as fast as she could, sword raised above her head, a scream in her throat. She faced a Cyclops, about two heads taller than her and a hand so huge he could kill her with a single slap, and even though the fight was not balanced, she attacked. She was not the type of person to give up even when the situation is not in her favour. She was the type of person to do everything she could to win. The Cyclops's smile disappeared when her blade slashed his thigh, replaced by a wince of pain. For a few seconds, the monster was more focused on his pain than on his opponent. Mistake. She dived her weapon in his knee, forcing him to kneel on the ground, and once there, she pushed her blade in his chest where his heart was. The monster screamed one last time before turning into ashes. Cyclops were impressive by their height and strength, but the lack of intelligence and speed was most of the time, the reason why they were ending dead instead of their opponent.

She didn't have the time to enjoy her little victory, as a hand grabbed her shoulder and a second later, her back violently met a tree's trunk. All the air in her lungs left, replaced by an atrocious pain in her back. When she opened her eyes again, arrows landed in the chest and throat of the empousa in front of her, possibly her assailant. She smiled gratefully at Frank who was standing a few feet away from her, bow armed. He smiled back as if to say "you're welcome" and went back fighting with a rage that she had not seen in his eyes a second ago. She took a deep breath and stepped away from the tree which she had been leaning on, trying to ignore the pain in her back. She analysed the battlefield and her eyes landed on a boy turning his back to her and she realized he had his arm around Hazel's throat. She ran toward them, as fast as she could, and grabbed the boy's short hair, yanking him back and pushing his head back so she could have a perfect access to his throat. She took the knife she had hidden in her sleeve and slit his throat, quick and effective. She had never seen the boy before and he was definitely not from the camp. Perhaps he was a simple mortal. But she had no time to think about it as a fist landed on her cheek.

Reyna stumbled backward, the pain too sharp to focus on the giant facing her, a murderous glare in his black eyes. He had long and silver hair that touched his broad shoulders. His entire body was muscular and even if he was as tall as the Cyclops she had killed a few minutes ago, she knew that he was smarter. She tried to arch her sword in the air to cut his chest but he stopped the blade with his bare hand, not caring about the blood drawing from it. He snatched the weapon out of her hold and threw it a few meters away. The giant smiled, discovering yellow teeth that almost made her wince in disgust but she had no time to do so as punched her once again, on the nose. This time, the pain was almost unbearable and drew tears in her dark eyes. He took advantage of her pain and his foot swept her legs from underneath her and she landed hard on the ground, knocking the air out of her lungs for the second time. Unlike last time, her head hit the floor violently and she saw black dots floating with the clouds above her. The giant wasn't finished as he kicked her in the guts, over and over again. She screamed in pain but it wasn't loud enough to cover the creaking of her ribs.

Her eyes widened as she felt hands grabbing her ankles and she screamed when she understood that someone was taking her away. She saw the silver hair of the giant and she tried to cling at something, anything, and kick. But there was only mud and grass. He was dragging her away and didn't care if someone was hearing her because no one was coming to interrupt him. A hundred of scenarios rushed into her mind and none of them ended up with a happy ending. She was in the shadows now, the others a dozen of meters away, out of earshot. She knew it was bad. It was so bad. The trees were bigger and the sun rays were barely passing through their leaves. She closed her eyes, so tightly that it hurt. She felt a pulse on her chest, something different from the one of her heart. Without realizing it, she grabbed the necklace in her hand and called him. For once, she allowed herself to ask for help because she knew there was no other alternative. It was this or dying, maybe worse. So she called the shadows; the darkness. But nothing came. The wait for a sign, for anything really, was a torture and it seemed as if a hundred years passed before she opened her eyes again. And she badly wished she hadn't. The giant was centimetres away from her face. He was so close, she could smell the sour odour of his breath but apparently it wasn't a problem for him as he smiled to her. The sick bastard.

"I will make sure you enjoy our little time together."

_No no no no no please, someone, anyone. _She started begging, praying in her head even though the probability of someone hearing her and coming to her aid was very low. But at this point, she was hopeless and couldn't care if she was begging for help. The giant rose his sword and she watched the blade pierce the air, then the skin of her arm. And it stayed there. She screamed in pain, in agony at the burn in her arm and there was nothing else anymore - just pain and pain.

Her scream seemed to sound like music to his ears, as he smiled with such joy, and it made her want to vomit, to scream even more not because of the pain but because of the rage inside of her that only demanded to be released.

But it's only when her voice broke and her screams stopped that she realized the giant wasn't beside her anymore, and in fact, there was someone else groaning and whimpering. When she found the strength to look to her left, a dark blur was turning around the giant and she watched as a figure appeared from it, she recognized a face, arms and legs and a sword. The dark blade cut the skin of the giant's back, drawing a terrible scream from his throat, before the handle of the sword hit the back of the monster's knee, forcing him to kneel on the grass. The Prince suddenly appeared, as if he was made of shadows and smoke, and faced the monster. She recognized the rage in his eyes, because it was exactly the same she was feeling at the moment, but the difference was that she could not act on it. The Prince grabbed the silver hair in a fist and twitched the giant's head back so their eyes could meet.

"I will make sure you enjoy your time in Tartarus." He echoed the giant's words with a murderous tone that sent a shiver down Reyna's spine. He lifted his sword and dived it in the giant's jaw, the blade cutting through the mouth and continuing its course in the monster's brain. Reyna flinched and closed her eyes at the sight.

But the pain, becoming too important to ignore, forced her to come back to reality. She could feel the blood running down her nose and bottom lip, and she was pretty sure several ribs were broken, perhaps her ankle too. But the worse was her arm where the blade was still planted, she couldn't find the strength to look at the damage done to her member, and she tried to remember a day in her life when the pain had been worse than this. She realized that she could find none.

She felt a hand cupping her cheek and a thumb wiping the blood away from her lower lip. She opened her eyes to meet the Prince's green ones, still cold but less than what she remembered. Or maybe it was the pain making her hallucinate.

"You alright?" He asked in a gentle voice. It was the first time she actually heard him this way, and it was strangely comforting. She shook her head as she saw her vision becoming blurry and the pain too sharp to bear it. "Reyna?" But she was gone. She couldn't feel his fingers on her skin anymore or the pain in her arm and face. It was just all too much. The last of her consciousness made her able to feel that she was lifted off the ground and carried away.

ℂ

"Reyna?" She heard a voice calling her. "Reyna!" Then footsteps seemed to be rushing toward her. She had no idea where she was or who was calling her name. "Reyna can you hear me?" Hands grabbed her shoulders and shook her. She tried to open her eyes but the darkness was too peaceful to let it slip away. She wanted to stay there for as long as she could. She could feel the grass tickling her skin and fingers, and the warmth of the sun on her exposed skin. "Come on wake up!" She tried so hard but she felt so good here. "Please!" There were tears in the voice now and it seemed so desperate, so broken that she focused on opening her eyes. After a few seconds, she met golden eyes full of tears and dark skin. Hazel. "Oh Gods thank you."

The little girl embraced her friend, hard enough to break a few bones but Reyna couldn't feel any pain, not even in her sides where ribs had been broken before she fell unconscious. She touched her nose with her fingertips, afraid to feel the pain again. But her nose was completely normal and so was her lower lip. As if nothing had happened. She remembered her body leaving the ground and strong arms holding her. The Prince. She remembered calling him, and the way he had killed the giant with hate in his eyes and violence in his words. He had been frightening at this moment, but he had saved her life. As she had saved his a few days ago.

"What happened?" Hazel asked, her eyes scanning Reyna's body to look for any wound.

"I – I don't know." She simply answered, because it was the truth. How she ended up in this part of the woods or how her injuries had disappeared, was a complete mystery. But she knew that the Prince was involved in it. Reyna remembered the battle, the giant and before that the arm around Hazel's throat and her eyes landed on the bruised skin there. She couldn't help feeling angry again, even if the battle was far behind her. "Are you okay?" She asked to the girl who simply nodded with a little smile she knew very well.

Hazel helped her getting on her feet and passed Reyna's arm around her tiny shoulders to support her friend even though she was heavier and taller. Reyna didn't say a word, even if she felt much better and able to walk on her own. She knew that Hazel wanted to help, wanted to be useful to somehow. So she let her.

They walked through the woods for a few minutes before arriving in a clearing where the cohorts were with Jason pacing anxiously. When he turned and saw Hazel with Reyna he ran toward them and took Reyna in his arms.

"You freaking scared us!" He stepped back and scanned her body, looking for any injury just like Hazel did before. "What happened?" She could see the confusion in his eyes, probably because he expected her to be severely wounded, that would've explained why he lost her in the battle and why she had disappeared for several hours. But Reyna was perfectly fine.

"I'm sorry, I don't know what happened. All I remember is being dragged away by a giant." That wasn't entirely a lie. Being unconscious for a long time was probably responsible for this, but all that occurred after being taken away was a blur, as if it had happened many years before. A talk with the Prince would certainly help her understand.

"Let's go back to camp then, the sun is already going down." Reyna nodded and followed her friend in the direction of the camp.

Once in camp, Reyna headed toward her cabin, exhaustion washing over her, turning her legs into stone and making every step difficult. She didn't take the time to undress or to wrap herself under the covers of her bed. Her hand grabbed unconsciously the pendant on her neck. The little object in her palm calmed her nerves and a feeling of safety rose in every part of her body, relaxing the muscles and her brain. She wondered if the necklace had some power too, considering that somehow, it had felt it when she had needed help back in the woods. The pulse against her neck when the giant had grabbed her and took her away was without a doubt, real. She knew it. The pendant was like a connection to the Prince, whenever she needed him, she'd be able to reach him thanks to it. And it made her feel so much better. She closed her eyes and the darkness she found behind her eyelids was beautiful and warm. She let herself drift into it.

This night she dreamed of a woman with dark hair and dark wings and a little boy with green eyes and black clothes. She had called him "son" and he had called her "mother", and Reyna had seen the love and affection in both their eyes, in the way the woman would take the boy's hands in hers and order him gently to create shadows and let them swim all around them.

She dreamed of a goddess with red lips and of a boy who asked for his father with longing in his voice. She dreamed of a mother wishing for his son to become king one day, for him to be the most powerful man of the universe.

This morning, she woke up in startle, sweat damping the sheets she was lying on. She looked around her and sighed when she realized that she was still in her room. She lied back, her eyes unfocused on the ceiling above her. She had just dreamed of the Prince and if it hadn't been strange enough, she dreamed of his younger self. Demigods had weird dreams, but this one had felt more like a memory. And it had felt too private, a moment between a mother and her son. She felt the presence before seeing him, and she turned her head to face him, his green eyes cutting the darkness of the room. They were the exact same one than in her dream. He sat beside her, careful not to touch her or to be too close.

"You healed me, didn't you?" She asked before he could say anything.

"Yes." He simply replied, his voice even. A silence enveloped both of them, but it wasn't uncomfortable or heavy. It was strangely light and peaceful, as if they had said everything they wanted to.

A question was burning on her tongue and she let it out slowly. "Do you have wings too?" For a second she thought she saw a little smile playing on his lips but it was gone before she could be sure. She couldn't perfectly make out his features in the darkness, a single and faint moon ray lightening his strong jaw.

"I do."

"Would you let me see them?" She had no idea why she had asked this question and started to regret it. She wondered if showing his wings was like showing an intimate part of his body or if it was completely different. If the first assumption was right, then it would definitely become an awkward situation. She was sure he would answer with sarcasm just to break the moment but his face showed no reluctance at the proposition. It was strangely satisfied.

"The room is not big enough, Reyna."

She looked with wide eyes at the room. It wasn't big, but if his wings couldn't fit in it then they were more than huge. They were tremendous, maybe 5 meters long. He smiled at her expression with amusement. She tried to swallow the lump in her throat. If his wings were so spectacular, then what about his powers? She looked at him and wondered what kind of man he really was. So much power was never a good thing for one single person.

"Then show me outside."

He smiled again and stood up, gesture that she imitated and both stepped outside, the moon illuminating their faces and she headed to the clearing at the back of the cabins where everyone was sound asleep. They walked in silence, his arm sometimes brushing hers and sending electricity in her whole body. When they were in the middle of the clearing with grass reaching their knees, they stopped and she turned to face him, curiosity gleaming in her dark eyes. He understood what her glare meant and he stepped back a little before slowly closing his eyes.

Reyna watched as the tip of his wings appeared behind his back and stretched. The feathers were as black as his mother's were in the dream. But they were more beautiful. They were, by far, the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. There was gold in them and the infinity of the stars seemed to be painted somewhere between the dark feathers. The moon rays reflected themselves on the wings, making them glow in all their beauty. She told herself that if angels of death existed, he would certainly be one. His eyes opened and the green and blue had disappeared. They were only darkness. He was beautiful in all his dangerousness. He smiled and his wings retracted and disappeared behind his back.

"Did you send me the dream?"

"I didn't." He brushed her lower lip with his thumb just like he had done when she had been hurt in the woods. "You and I are alike now."

"What do you mean?" Her voice was just a whisper now, her eyes drowning in the black of his. It didn't frightened her, the darkness seemed too welcoming for such a thing.

"I saved your life. You saved mine. We're linked beyond comprehension." His sentences were pieces of a puzzle that Reyna badly wanted to put together. But the skin of his finger against her lip was too much of a distraction to let her brain work properly. He smiled a little as if he could see how her whole body was reacting to his touch. Maybe he could. "Don't you feel it? The attraction to the darkness? The need of it?" It was all true. The way she had felt in her room when she had closed her eyes and when she was looking into his eyes at the moment. The darkness had never felt so attractive. "The darkness can be intriguing, can it?" She closed her eyes when his hand cupped her jaw and she found herself wanting so much more. "You have a part of me inside of you, Praetor. And you're drawn to the same thing as I am. Can't you feel it?"

She could. She could feel the darkness inside her bones and the call of it when she was near. It was inviting and welcoming. Always there, somewhere. It felt like she belonged there. She felt his lips brushing her cheek and the side of her nose. She moved closer, ready to meet his lips with hers. But instead, she met nothing. When she opened her eyes again, she was alone. The Prince was not here anymore but she could still feel the burn of his lips on her skin, as if they had left a trail of fire there. She touched the skin with her fingertips and a light smile appeared on her lips.

The darkness was still there, all around her. And it was calling.


	4. Chapter 3

Smaller one but I hope it's still enjoyable. Thanks all of you for your kind reviews and compliments, it really touches me!

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**Chapter 3.**

Fire of Darkness

ℂ

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"_Darkness approaches from outside._  
_I feel no light inside me strong enough to resist it._"  
― Christopher Pike.

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Reyna's change of behaviour had not escaped anyone at camp. She seemed angrier, more agitated, more dangerous. There was now something inside the girl that made everyone uncomfortable. It wasn't the coldness in her eyes or her voice when she was in front of you, because it was a necessity knowing she was the leader of this camp. It was a necessity for her to be bossy. But now, looking into her eyes caused an inevitable feeling of unease and fear. No one dared making a comment about the change, but it didn't mean they had not noticed it. Even Jason, who used to be close with Reyna, took his distance. He blamed the war the pressure, and he hoped to find his friend back when all of this would be over.

She spent her time training, talking about logistics and war tactics with her advisors. But there was something inside of her no one had felt before.

Jason sat on the benches of the arena with a couple of friends and watched Reyna training with another boy from the city.

She raised her sword and turned on herself, giving her blow more power. The blade cut the boy's chest with precision and if not for his armour, the son of Apollon would be dead. He watched wide-eyed as the Praetor kicked him in the stomach and thumped the handle of her sword against his cheekbone with such strength that the boy's head jerked on the side, his body following the movement. She dropped her sword to the ground, took his head with her hands and in a matter of a second, her knee met his forehead and the boy fell on the floor, unconscious. She was aware that she was going too hard on the kid, and yet she couldn't help herself. She had felt utterly weak in the woods a week ago and now she wanted to make sure that such a thing would never happen again. It couldn't. She was a soldier, a warrior and a Praetor. War was coming and she knew that she would have to save herself. No one would either way. She had to protect herself, to take care of herself. And the power she had felt for the past week made her believe that she could do anything. She knew the power wasn't hers. But it felt so good.

Three more demigods entered the arena and Reyna smirked to herself. She took her sword back in hand and when the first boy was close enough, she kicked his knee, sending him on the ground before slashing her blade to the second boy's stomach and kicking the one in her back with her elbow which connected with his nose. She booted the first boy in the chest then rushed toward the second, shoving him to the ground. She landed on him while he struggled to catch his breath. She was aware of the boy behind her and took her sword, pointing the tip of it at the boy's throat. The one under her was pinned to the floor with a hand around his neck. The other one was still dizzy from his meeting with the ground.

She felt so good. The power from the fight and knowing that those boys had no chance against her, it was the best thing ever. She knew she moved faster and stroked with more power. And she loved every ounce of it.

"Do you yield, brothers?" The two nodded and she turned to look at the third. He was back on his feet, his two hands holding his sword.

"I don't." He said with a threatening tone.

She stood up, taking her sword and facing the last of her opponent. She smiled and attacked. His sword met hers in an awful sound before she pushed him with all the strength she could put in her arms. She attacked again but the boy knew how to defend himself. He parried all her blows, dodged others with speed and intelligence. A son of Mars. But Reyna was a daughter of Bellona, Goddess of war, destruction and devastation. She noticed the lack of defence he put in his sides, so she lowered her blade and slashed his hip. He tumbled back and tried to attack Reyna, his move not calculated nor powerful. He was desperate now, eager to hit her. And in battle, the less feelings you have, the better chances you have to survive. It's all about focus. So she hit the flat of her blade against his wrist, the pain making him unable to hold his sword. The weapon clattered to the floor and the next second, Reyna had her sword pointed at the boy's throat.

"Do you yield now?"

"I do, Praetor." He replied while looking at the blade so close to his skin.

Reyna stepped back, turning her weapon in her hand and leaving the arena under other demigods' gazes. They looked at her with respect and apprehension in their eyes. They had witnessed the changed in her fighting strategy and how she seemed to move faster but they said no words about it, afraid to face Reyna's wrath. She heard footsteps following her and a second later, Jason was walking beside her.

"I think we should talk." He simply announced without glancing at her which made her frown. He looked uneasy and his tone was a little too harsh to be friendly.

"Well good morning to you too." She snapped and looked away.

"What's going on with you?" He stopped and grabbed her elbow, forcing her to stop and face him. He quickly took his hand off of her as if her skin had burned him. The gesture did not go unnoticed for the girl and she couldn't help but feel the sadness building in her tight throat.

"What do you mean?" She did a good job at hiding her feelings, fighting against her own body.

"I mean that the past week you've acted weirdly. We're worried about you. Is it because of what happened to you in the woods during the battle? If so, you know that you have friends. And we're all here for you if you need anything."

"I'm fine, Jason. I just…" She sighed, struggling to find the right words, "I need to do something with myself. With the war coming and… I need to train and get ready. That's it."

"Yeah well, if you need something you know where to find me Rey. We're all on the same boat here."

"Thank you." She whispered before stepping away and heading toward her cabin.

She knew she had friends but now things were different. Everything had changed. And sometimes she wondered if it was for the better or the worst. She didn't enter her cabin right away, she went at the back where the field was stretching toward the horizon, where the crops met the sky. She sat under the cabin's porch, watching the wind making the grass and crops dance in unison. She smiled when she heard him approaching. It was now easier for her to feel him when he was close, as if the darkness inside of her was attracted to his. She turned to look at him, and once again she was surprised by how good looking he actually was. His green and blue eyes were so clear thanks to the sunlight, making the pupil so small that Reyna thought for a second that she would drown in the stormy ocean that seemed to be painted in his orbs. Today he wasn't wearing his usual golden crown on his black hair but he had another one that she had never seen before. It circled the back of his head and stopped at his temples. It was made of golden feathers, the details so precise that they almost looked real, with diamonds here and there reflecting the sunrays. It made her think of the laurel wreath roman emperors used to wear in symbol of victory. It was undeniably beautiful. He still had his velvet cloak on, all dressed in black. As usual. He sat beside her without a word and looked at the same landscape Reyna was a few seconds ago. But his beauty made her unable to look away from his features. It was the type of beauty that made you stare until it became embarrassing. Until it hurt your eyes. He finally faced her with a little smirk on his pale lips. She hadn't seen him in over a week now and the anger and joy of seeing him again mingled in her chest, one trying to overcome the other. She had no idea what to say or what to do, so she kept her eyes focused on his, waiting for something. Anything.

"I thought you would need me." He simply said with still this little smile on his face.

"Why's that?" She quickly added, "I don't need anyone."

"Trust me, I know that more than anyone else." He genuinely smiled at her and she could feel the butterflies taking flight in her stomach. "But you will need to contain the power inside of you. My power."

"Why do I have it in the first place?"

"When I saved you, I had to use my powers. It doesn't happen often but after the healing, the power didn't leave your body. It stayed." He turned to look at the horizon and continued, "If you don't tame it, it will destroy you from the inside. Or get you killed."

"So that's why I feel the need to train so much? This energy inside of me… It's your power?" She asked hesitantly.

"Yes. I couldn't come sooner to help you but," he inhaled and turned again, his green eyes meeting hers. "I'm here now."

"How can you help me?"

"I will teach you how to use it properly and how to tame it. The darkness inside of you is no friend. It's a weapon." He took her hand in his cold one and rested his palm against the back of hers. "You will have to get to know it. To get used to it. And then you will have to master it."

"Is that what you did when you were a kid?"

"No. I was born with the darkness. It had always been a part of me. I don't see it as a stranger inside of me. The darkness is who I am." He smiled and looked at their hands. "But things are different for you. You're a half-blood. We don't have the same power rushing in our veins."

"Does it mean that it will be more complicated for me to use it? To tame it?"

"Absolutely. But I don't doubt you will succeed." This little smile again that makes her inside melt and her heart beat faster, "you're a warrior Reyna. And nothing will take that away from you."

That's when she felt the warmth from his hand flowing toward hers. It was a beautiful feeling. His fingers grasped her hand and the warmth increased. It was a small fire, and sparkles of it rushed in her blood. The warmth started to move up and up and up, along her arm then shoulder and chest. It started to spread in her stomach and guts. Her breathing became quicker and she couldn't control the trembling of her body. An amazing and yet scary sensation exploded in her bones and set fire to her skin. She gasped and closed her eyes tightly. She felt like she was on fire. Maybe she was.

"Don't let it take control." She heard his voice but it sounded so distant, "you're the one in control. Tame it." The feeling was unbounded now, turning her bones into steel and her brain shutting off. Her whole skin was inflamed and the blood in her veins was so hot. "Reyna don't let it take over you." She tried to control it, to push it down. But it was so strong, so fierce. "Come on, you can do it." She screamed and in a second his hand disappeared from hers and took her head. "Open your eyes." His voice was more urging and she heard a bit of apprehension in it.

She tried to open them but the fire kept burning and she screamed until her voice broke. She wasn't controlling her body anymore. The fire became dark and shadows wrapped around her bones and swam in her blood. She started to panic, to hyper-ventilate and she called for him, over and over again in hope that he would help her. She felt as if her spirit had left her body, like it was floating outside of it. She then felt the coolness reappearing, sending a chill down her spine and raising the hair on her arms. It was so welcoming and she sighed in relief. In a matter of seconds, the darkness and fire were gone. She opened her eyes and met the Prince's entirely black ones. He still held her head with his both hands and his skin was burning. Just like hers was a second ago. He was frowning and she understood. He was taking away the pain. He was transferring it from her to him. She swallowed with difficulty, still looking into his unblinking pits of darkness. It looked like he was gone. His body was still here and yet his spirit was gone. He wasn't moving and barely breathing. The fire had now disappeared inside of her and the temperature came back to normal. But he didn't move a single muscle. So she cupped his cheek and moved closer.

"Wake up." But he didn't. "Please."

His eyes finally closed and Reyna let out the breath she had been holding for so long. She was aware of the closeness between the two of them but it felt so right to be this close to him. To feel him like this. When his eyes opened again, they were back to the green she loved so much.

"I told you to control it." He accused with a hoarse voice.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't know what to do and… and it was awful I – I"

"It's okay. Look at me," she looked up and met his eyes again, "it's alright. It will get better."

"I don't want to try again. It don't want it. Take it back, please." She begged him with tears in her eyes. He looked at her with an apology in his sea green orbs, moved closer and pressed his lips against her forehead. "Please" she repeated, his lips still resting against her cool skin. He moved back and stroke her cheek gently.

"It will only get worse if you let it scare you."

"I don't want to use it!" She shouted and got back on her feet, her legs still trembling. "I don't want to feel like this and most of all, I don't want this thing in me. It's not mine and it will never be!" She didn't flinch when he got up, his eyes as cold as the ice and a warning clear in them. "This," she pointed at herself, "this is fucking scary. It's demonic and evil. And I don't want it inside of _me_."

His eyes were now murderous and he looked down at her so dangerously that her whole body was screaming to run away. She always thought he was frightening but at the moment, it was worse than that.

"Don't ever forget who you are talking to, demigod. I could easily control the so-called demonic thing inside of you and make you choke on it." She clenched her jaw, the fear starting to make her heart race faster. He wasn't so beautiful now with the murderous glare and his fist clenched. "What you just insulted is who I am." He moved closer, his nose almost touching hers. "And I hope you will drown in it." He smiled a devilish grin and stepped away, while she looked at him with wide eyes as he disappeared in the shadows of the porch.

A sob escaped her lips and she let the tears fall freely. She had no idea what she just did. But the thing that hurt the most was the look on his face. And the way he easily threatened her. It crushed her heart and made her stomach twist, setting fire to her throat.

This was not supposed to happen. Not like this. Not with him. But his words wouldn't leave her head. _I hope you will drown in it. _And the warmth of his lips still burning a hole where they had met her skin. It was not right. She grasped the necklace in bother her hands and let it cut her palm. All of it was so wrong.

And she wanted him back.


	5. Chapter 4

Sorry for the wait. I won't be uploading for a week or two, because my exams start on monday and will be over the next monday (the 23rd) so it'll be very very hard for me to write. But hopefully you guys enjoy this.  
Also before reading, I recommend you this mix on 8tracks: **/interiorisation/darkness **while reading the story. Perfect soundtrack, I made it especially for this story. Enjoy!

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**Chapter 4.**

Goddess of Darkness

ℂ

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_"Even though my angel has forgiven me and rescued me, _

_who on earth will save him, who cannot be allowed into the light of the sun, who has lost his name, who can only hide himself in the world of darkness?"  
― Mizuki Nomura.  
_

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_The darkness faded a little, allowing her to distinguish the Prince walking in a dark corridor beside another man dressed in an armor and wearing the same cloak, unless in a deep red. _

"_If she doesn't learn, she will die because of it. Are you willing to take this risk, your Highness?" _

"_I will if I have to." _

"_Your pride is too much of a problem, my friend. It will only bring you troubles."_

"_Then so be it." _

_The man laughed and made the Prince stop. "What is she to you exactly?" He suddenly asked seriously._

"_What do you mean Patroclus?" _

"_I mean that you don't get easily offended and when you do, it ends up being their last words. What was different with her?" _

"_Nothing." He looked down at the soldier. "She's just another child of some goddess. Nothing more." _

"_You keep telling you this. I've been your friend since the Trojan War and I know you better than your mother does. I know when you're lying. And right now you are." _

"_You're mistaken, soldier. Now we have somewhere else to be." His tone was harsh, telling him indirectly that the subject was closed. The Prince started to walk away but the soldier ran to reach him and stopped him again by stepping in front of him. _

"_Don't do that, my friend. Don't do this to yourself. I know what love is and what power it has on us. If you like her, tell her. That's how simple as it is. Just tell her before it is too late." _

"_I know nothing about love. And by being my closest friend, you should know that men like me are incapable of such thing. I was not brought on this Earth to love, but to destroy and shed blood. I will never know what love means and I accepted it a very long time ago. You should too." He walked forward again._

"_She could teach you." _

_The corridor disappeared, swallowed by the sound of those four words that stung like a blade in Reyna's chest, swallowed by darkness and void. _

_She found herself in a wide room with a long table in the center of it. It was made of beautiful and dark wood with gold and diamonds here and there. It was empty except for the Prince, sat at the end of the table, his crown placed on it. His head was down as if he was asleep. But she knew he wasn't. He put his head in his hands, and she could hear the long sigh that escaped his pretty lips. She had never seen him so vulnerable. So human. And yet here he was, in her dreams, looking much like demigods that lived in her camp. The two massive golden doors opened and two guards with the man who was in the corridor earlier with the Prince entered. _

"_My Prince." He lifted his head up. "The attack has begun. We have to go." The Prince nodded and got up. That's when she saw the armor he wore. All black and gold. Beautiful. He was indeed beautiful. He left the room and walked by her, ignoring her presence. His arm brushed her side and her breathing stopped at the touch. It was everything she wanted and so much more. _

_She just wanted him back._

She woke up to the sound of screams and metal. She got on her feet so quickly that her head spun for a few seconds, trying to beat back the sleep. She grabbed her armor and put it on, took her sword and ran outside. What she saw made her stomach heave. Demigods on the floor, bleeding out, monsters running in the streets and fighting against her friends. But her eyes caught something else before her brain could interpret what was really happening. She watched as a soldier dressed in a black and silver armor dived his sword in a monster's back then slit his throat. The man was no demigod and his armor made her think of the soldier's in the corridor in her dream. Her dark eyes traveled all around her, watching every person and every monster. There were hundreds of them. But the dark soldiers were everywhere. Their attacks were fierce, violent and precise. They were efficient and every monster meeting them ended up in ashes. She hold her sword tight and joined the fight with anger. The sleep had completely disappeared, replaced by fury and the need of revenge for her fallen brothers and sisters.

She sank her blade in a hellhound's neck, slashed an empousa's chest then kicked her in the guts. When she doubled over, she stabbed her in the back and moved on to a Cyclops. She was no longer controlling her body. She simply let everything go. The anger in her, the disappointment and the bitterness. She was aware of her arms moving and the blade sinking into flesh and organs but she wasn't feeling the handle in her hands or the wind on her skin. There was just her and the monsters. Life and death.

She wasn't aware of the dark aura around her or the way her eyes had seemed darker than ever. The demigods tried to fight off the monsters but their eyes were drawn to their Praetor. She kicked, punched, slit, dodged and killed. Always kill. The dark soldiers smiled a little at the sight and the whole camp saw how much she looked like them at this exact moment. They both inspired violence and anger.

She was soaked in blood, some drops landing on her gorgeous face. But she didn't mind.

She had never felt this way. The more enemies fell at her feet, the more she could feel the darkness in her veins. But she wasn't afraid of it this time. It gave her strength and courage. It was her weapon.

She screamed while arching her sword and cutting off an empousa's head. She parried a blow and answered with a stronger one that sever the skin of the giant's stomach. She did it again, but to his knee and finally plunging the blade in his throat. A hellhound landed on her back, thrown her to the ground and she felt its claws sinking into her flesh. She stifled a scream but soon the weight of the monster on her back disappeared and she turned to face whoever had helped her. The hellhound was already a pile of ashes beside her and her eyes met green ones. He had no crown on and looked like just another soldier. But it was clear he wasn't. It was clear in the power on his face but mostly in his eyes. He didn't say a word or showed her any sign that maybe he had forgiven her. He just turned, at the exact moment another hellhound started to run toward him. He lifted his dark sword and dived it in the monster's chest until all they could see left was the weapon's handle. It turned into ashes and when he looked at her again, a trail of blood was drawn on his face. She stood up and moved closer, letting her finger travel along the blood line, wiping it away. He didn't flinch at the touch but she could see the look in his eyes change. She couldn't perfectly interpret it, but she saw the longing in them and the need of her fingers at someplace else. He said nothing, perhaps because no words were worth saying in this moment of pure beauty. But it had to be broken. It had to fade. So he stepped away and went back to fighting. Because that was the reason of his presence in her camp. The war. _I know nothing about love. _But she could swear that when her skin met his, he knew everything about it. _She could teach you. _He knew every secret and every feeling of it. And he loved it.

She took her sword from the ground and joined him. They fought side by side, their dark aura mingling and their voices joining in a beautiful but violent song. He would shout for her to crouch so he could slit the throat of the monster coming at her side and she would shout for him to move aside so she could cut an enemy's member off. Together they were everything. And together they could conquer the world. It seemed they had always knew each other, always fought together by how natural it looked for them. And yet a universe was separating them. But at this moment, they were the same. Two soldiers fighting for the same thing. Two soldiers fighting for the same world. And they were beautiful.

"Down!" He screamed at her and she did, kneeling on the ground and lowering her head just in time. She felt the blade brushing the top of her head and the air whistling in her ears before she saw it finding its mark in a monster's throat. She hadn't seen him coming, too busy fighting another monster on her left. The blade disappeared, spattering blood on the floor and her face. But she immediately went back to her feet and kicked the monster on her right in the guts before the black sword met his skull. She smiled at the Prince before turning her back to him.

And they fought like demons for what seemed hours. They fought with ease and rage in their gestures. The soldiers watched them from the corner of their eyes and the demigods looked at them with open mouths and wide eyes. And soon everything was over. The last monster turned into ashes and the silence fell on the camp. Everyone turned to the Praetor and the Prince, the dark army waiting for orders and the demigods waiting for answers. But they weren't looking at them. Green eyes were locked with black ones and for a few seconds, nothing else mattered. The only thing which did, was the fact that they were together. Again.

Then the Prince stepped back and turned to his army before joining them. Reyna watched the muscles of his back moving as he walked and realized once again that she was staring.

The air became rapidly rare. Her lungs stopped functioning and her heart wanted to escape her chest. She took a trembling breath but it couldn't reach her lungs. She coughed and drops of blood landed at her feet. She looked down but what she saw made her brain shut down. She heard screams around her but couldn't look up. All she could do was stare at the tip of the blade coming out of her chest. She felt a breathing on her neck and the blade went deeper. Blood started to rise in her throat and everything left her body. Energy, anger, sadness. Everything. She fell on her knees and the coldness of the blade disappeared. But the one coursing through her veins didn't. When she found the strength to look up, the Prince was standing in front of her, his blade on the floor and a terrible look in his beautiful eyes. Despair. Pain. Misery. And above all, rage. She couldn't understand what was happening but she never left his eyes, not even when tears started to appear in hers.

"What a pleasure to finally meet the Prince in person." Said a feminine voice behind her back. The voice was powerful and yet sleepy. But it was frightening. "I'm sorry I had to kill your pet." She apologized with fake remorse that she punctuated with a little laugh that made Reyna shiver. Or was it because of the sudden coldness? "But see, you killed a good part of my army today, so I had to take someone you loved away from you. This is just how it works."

The Prince looked at Reyna and rage became distress. She wanted to run to him and wrap her arms around his neck. Tell him that everything would be alright. But she didn't believe a single word of it. And neither would he.

"Gaia." He simply replied with pure fury in his voice. It made everyone flinch but the goddess laughed. "I swear on the River Styx you will die painfully. Mark my words as I will tear you apart and scatter the pieces of your body around the universe. There will be nothing left of you. Nor your army. I will show you no mercy." His green eyes were a block of ice. "I will carve my name into your soldiers' minds. They will remember me as their destroyer." Reyna turned her eyes away, the sight of the rage on his features too painful to watch. "I will mark my name with their blood. And I will show no mercy to any of them or to you."

She couldn't take it anymore. The blood was too important in her throat and making her unable to breathe. She coughed and the metallic taste invaded her mouth and the liquid escaped her pale lips to finish its course on the floor at her knees. Her body started to escape her control. She tried to focus, to stand straight but her body became limp and she couldn't take it anymore. She fell face first on the ground and screams mixed with the wind and scent of blood.

"You will have to wait, Perseus. For now you will watch her die at your feet." The demigod could hear the smile in her voice. "But you will join her soon, don't you worry about this."

Reyna looked up at the Prince and seeing him this way shattered her heart in a million pieces. She tried to reach for him but her weak hand only met the earth. When she blinked, a woman was standing beside the Prince. She had a long black dress and a crown of red flowers in her dark hair that touched her waist in beautiful waves. She recognized the woman from her dreams. Nyx.

"If you touch _one_ hair from my son's head, I will turn your life into a living hell. Even Tartarus will pale in comparison of what I'll do to you." Her voice was ice and fire mingled.

"Nyx. It's been too long my friend." Replied Gaia, ignoring the threat but the enthusiasm in her voice sounded so fake that Nyx laughed.

"You know who you are dealing with. This is not just about my son, but our entire family. And you know it's no good to be our enemy."

A hand grabbed Reyna's hair and yanked her up, forcing her to inhale sharply. The Prince looked at her with an apology in his green eyes. But Nyx took that as a threat. Hundreds of creatures appeared behind her and everyone screamed and stepped to the side, leaving the two goddesses facing each other, Nyx with an army behind her back and Gaia with a dying demigod.

"Do you honestly think this demigod's life means anything to me?" Laughed Nyx.

"To you? Oh no. To your son on the other hand…"

Nyx didn't flinch and didn't move her eyes away from Gaia's face. Reyna saw the dark army behind the Prince and his mother and couldn't believe what she was looking at. Creatures made of darkness, with black wings and eyes. All coming from the deepest pit of Tartarus.

Her eyes looked at the sky above her and the white clouds moving so slowly. She couldn't understand what the voices around her were saying anymore. The only thing she could understand was how the world was slipping away. She whispered his name. _Perseus. _It tasted nice on her bloody tongue and she wished she could have said it a thousand times, just to learn how to appreciate it. It sounded so melodic to her ears. The hand left her hair and she fell hard on the ground and could hear someone screaming her name. Hazel. Everything was so dark. And cold.

"You're alone Gaia. Leave now." She heard a feminine voice saying but the sound was so distant, as if it was a hundred meters away from her.

Hands were on her body now, on her wound and in her hair.

"It's going to hurt." The lips whispered against her ear and she knew this voice. She had heard it in her dreams earlier this morning. But it was so different than how it was a few seconds ago. It was so full of anger and it sounded so sweet now.

The fire rose in her skin and bones. She screamed. But he kept his hand on her wound and his forehead locked with hers. His breath was hot on her lips. The darkness slipped in her veins and mingled with her blood. The pain was everywhere. It broke bones and cut skin. And she kept screaming until she could feel the strength coming back and when his hand left her chest, the fire extinguished. And she opened her eyes to meet his green ones. She reached for his face and cupped his jaw with her bloody hand. He looked down and smiled a little.

"Thank you Perseus." She managed to articulate before her eyes shut down and the world disappeared around her. But the touch of his skin lingered and stayed with her every second of every hour.

And she wanted more. She craved his touch and the taste of his lips.

"I will protect you until the end, Reyna. Don't ever forget that." She heard him saying close to her ear.


	6. Chapter 5

Sorry for the lack of update. But I found time to write and here is a long chapter to apologize for the time it took. Hopefully you guys will like it.

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**Chapter 5.**

Army of Darkness

ℂ

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_They had an army to fight and a war to win. But it didn't matter; because they were together._

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Everything was dark there. Reyna immediately asked herself why she had agreed to come. Why she even thought it would be a good idea. The commander of Perseus's army decided it would be fun to take her with them to Chaos's Kingdom. There was no fun in that, she found. Not at all. She had let herself get convinced by this man, and she had not a single idea how he did it. He just did. And at the moment she cursed herself a million times, knowing that it wasn't going to be as fun as he said it would be. Perseus wasn't even aware that she was coming. His soldiers had stayed at the camp to help the wounded and for the destructions and decided, after a week, that it was time to go back home. With Reyna. They grew pretty fond of her, especially the commander, but she could see the respect in their eyes when they looked at her, just like when they gazed at their Prince. After all, they were almost the same her and him. They shared a special "thing" as the commander, Patroclus, would put it. So here she was, holding a soldier's hand and getting teleported to wherever Chaos's Kingdom was. She was afraid to open her eyes, afraid of what would appear in front of her. The hand left hers and she took a long breath before opening her eyes. The air left her lungs and her eyes widened at the sight. This was definitely not what she expected. An immense field of crop was drawn before her but there was no sun, only stars. She looked at the sky and wondered how such a thing could be so beautiful. It was an infinity of beauty. Millions upon millions of stars shining with all their power and gracefulness. She let a shocked laughter escape her lips as her eyes traveled down once more. The crop stopped at the edge of a magnificent city. She was ashamed of the New Rome, compared to this, it was nothing. Garbage. High and dark walls protected the city and just in front of her was a golden gate on which the stars were reflected. They were open but Reyna could see the patterns designed on them. Half and full moons. But the most beautiful thing was without a doubt, the castle hiding behind the walls. It was so high she thought it reached the stars. It presented three towers and each one of them ended in a cupola, the one in the middle was covered in diamonds whereas the two others on the sides were in gold. It shone with pure beauty and seemed to attract the stars' lights. She saw the men walking through the field toward the city and discovered that she hadn't moved an inch since they arrived, her eyes glued to the city before her. She ran down the hill they were on, and joined them in the field. The air was slightly warm, not enough to make you sweat. Just perfect. Which was strange considering there was no sun. But they walked, the soldiers whispering hastily between them as if they had missed their home for way too long.

"How you like it so far?" Asked Patroclus beside her, a little smile playing on his lips.

"It's… Gorgeous. I have no words really."

"See? Told you it would be fun." He grinned with victory and turned back to look at his city.

It was strange to see such a man with this kind of personality. He was muscled, his features sharp and hard and yet his eyes were warm and every time he could, he would make jokes and Reyna immediately knew she would like him. He was so much fun to be around and easy going. She heard hooves hitting the earth and making the ground shake beneath her feet. She looked around to see a dozen of dark horses running toward them. But her eyes settled on the first man leading the small group. She recognized him without a second of hesitation. There was no doubt in the way he stood on his beautiful black horse, his shoulders broad, his chin high and his cloak flying behind him. But she knew something was off. His eyebrows were knitted together and his lips were forming a thin line. He lightly hit his horse's sides and the animal raced faster and she admired him as he past them, not even glancing at the little group they formed. Something was definitely wrong. The other men stopped and some dismounted their horses to greet the soldiers.

"What happened?" Patroclus asked to a soldier.

"No idea. He didn't say a word except for 'let's go' and it was two hours ago."

"Where are you coming back from anyway?"

"His father's."

Patroclus nodded in knowledge as if this simple answer explained everything. Maybe it did. After a few minutes of chatting and being uncomfortable for Reyna, all the men started to walk toward the city again. She discovered a city of dark houses and shops but smiles on everyone's faces.

"Come on, I'll give you a visit of the palace." Patroclus told her with a little smile and they both left the small streets to join a bigger one.

They both arrived at the bottom of high black stairs which they climbed and arrived in front of two giant golden doors incrusted with diamonds and rubies. If Reyna thought the gates were beautiful, they were nothing compared to the palace's doors. Patroclus smiled at the look on her face and her open mouth. When he stepped forward, the two doors opened silently and slowly letting a wide room appear. A throne room. A huge throne was situated at the back of the room and stars along with milky ways were dancing all over it and it was simply captivating to see how bright they could shine and how beautiful they were. She didn't need to ask whose throne it was, she already knew the answer. It was Chaos's. The whole room was dark but when Reyna looked up, she saw the entire universe above her, moving slowly and shining. She couldn't even choose the right word to describe how beautiful it was, with its purple, pink and orange colors but also white and blue. It was a rainbow of beauty. She followed Patroclus who opened two doors to his right and they arrived in a huge room with tables forming a U and just in front of her was another throne but this time it wasn't the only one. A smaller one was at its left, covered in shadows that seemed to swim all around it. Perseus's. The walls were covered with banners representing moons in black and gold and others with planets on them. She guessed it was the place where everyone gathered for meals. And it was bigger than the arena at Camp Jupiter's.

"Come on. I'll show you my favorite room." He smiled at her and they keep on walking.

They found themselves in a large corridor when they heard loud voices behind closed doors. Reyna winced when a feminine voice started to yell at the other person.

"Listen to me! This is too dangerous, even for you. I know you're upset because he disagreed, but understand him. Understand _me_." Reyna remembered what the soldier said in the field. _His father's_. So this was about Perseus and his father, Erebus. She tried to hear the answer but nothing came. Until the woman spoke again. "You don't understand, do you? I love you and I would raise an army to protect you. But you can't defeat her. Not yet."

The doors opened abruptly, letting appear a furious Perseus and his mother, her face a mixture of pain and anger. Seeing Nyx like this was so strange, but the fact that Reyna felt pity for her was even stranger. No mother should bury her child before her own body was. Not even the Goddess of Night. When Perseus's eyes met Reyna's, he frowned and all the anger seemed to disappear from his features.

"What are you doing here?" His voice was back to this even tone that she knew perfectly well. Surprise and anger were simply erased, replaced by indifference.

"I thought I'd show her the Kingdom." Patroclus was back to being this cold and obeying commander, leaving his humor and sarcasm behind. Reyna realized the impact the Prince had on him, wherever it was out of fear or respect, she didn't know.

"Percy, our conversation is not over." Snapped his mother. The nickname made Reyna flinch, the tone was menacing and yet the name was affective.

"I've made my decision, mother. There's no turning back on it." He looked back at Reyna and smiled a little. "Come with me." She sent a questioning look to Patroclus who just shrugged and smiled at her.

So she didn't say a single word and obeyed to the Prince, walking beside him in the corridor, without a clue where they were going and why he asked her to come. But in the end, she didn't care. It felt good to be with him again. She hadn't seen him for about a week, since the battle actually and she didn't have the chance to thank him yet for saving her and helping her camp. Without them, she probably wouldn't be here and she knew her camp wouldn't be either.

"So… Where are we going?" She finally asked when they turned the corner and stepped into a new corridor.

"I'm going to show you something." He flashed a smile at her and kept walking, looking straight in front of him.

She admired his profile for a few seconds, his strong jaw and his full lips. His long and black eyelashes and the harmony of all these features. There was no denying in his beauty, it was hard to miss honestly. But Reyna turned her head and realized that they were walking toward two doors with golden half-moons on it. They stopped just in front of them and the Prince turned to face her. For a second his eyes met hers and the entire world faded. Just like it happened during the battle a week ago. Nothing else mattered but the way the green and blue mixed with the black around the irises in his eyes and the way they seemed to shine with every single star's brightness. They were by far, the most beautiful eyes she had the chance to meet. Not even Jason's blue ones could compare with them or Hazel's golden ones. They were unique. And that's what made them so captivating. He smiled a little, as if he could read her thoughts and liked them, and opened the doors. Reyna's eyes widened at the sight in front of her. A wide room appeared before her, with thousands of weapons on the walls, swords, bows, spears, axes in all metals, gold and iron possible glinting in the chandeliers' light. As a daughter of war, this was everything Reyna loved. On the floor were mats and she guessed it was the training room. She turned to face a smiling Perseus, an expression of pride on his face.

"Like it?"

"Hades, it's what mortals would call Heaven." She laughed, her eyes still scanning every single weapon in the room. She couldn't believe how many there were and how beautiful some were. "Are they just used as a decoration? Because that would be a shame really."

"For now, yes. But they are used once a war is declared which didn't happen for over two centuries."

"Is this where you train?" She stepped in the center of the room, turning on herself to not miss anything.

"No, I have my own train room in my palace." She turned and laughed at his serious expression. "What?"

"Of course you would have your own palace, I don't even know why I asked." She replied, still smiling.

She was surprised to see the corner of his mouth going up and a smile carving into his lips until she could see a glimpse of white teeth. And at this moment he truly was beautiful. With his green eyes met by the light, making them even paler. With his perfect teeth bared by the grin he was wearing. With the dimples it dug in his cheeks. Her heart jumped in her chest at this sight and her face heated up as if the fire in her veins decided to rush up toward her cheeks. Her legs became jelly and for a short moment, she was afraid that they would give out and she would simply crash onto her knees in front of him. But it didn't happen. She just stayed there, looking into his eyes and carving every detail of his face in her mind.

"Come, there's something else I want to show you."

She followed him in corridors and stairs, going down but never asking where they were going. The palace was really huge, almost a maze with those corridors that all looked the same. They entered in some kind of cave, dark and gloomy.

"Hum, where are we?"

"Shh. Watch."

And she did. Lights began to appear on the walls of the cave and at first, she didn't understand what they were. Stars. Billions of them. All around her. With wide eyes, she looked around her, her gaze trying to register every color and every form. She was surrounded by stars and she felt so small there, until she felt his fingers brush hers. This simple touch set fire to her entire arm and she tried to tear her gaze off of the stars to meet his eyes. When his hand finally took hers, she turned her head to face him and was surprised to see how close he was. But she didn't mind. Not at all. Soon his face was only a few centimeters away from hers and she could feel his hot breath crashing against her lips, his nose touching hers. Her heart was trying to escape her chest and she couldn't help the little shaking of her body. Her eyes stopped at his lips and the small smile appearing on them. If possible, her heart beat faster at the sight and her breathing became quicker and quicker each second. She felt this little tug in her guts that made her brain scream, scream for more and for his touch.

"It's beautiful." She whispered and she had no idea if she was talking about the room or him. But he didn't ask.

He smiled and the next second his lips gently met hers. She melted into the kiss and her brain shut down, letting her body take control. Her lips moved against his as if they perfectly knew what to do. His hand cupped her cheek and pulled her closed whereas hers fisted his hair and deepened the kiss. She parted her lips when his tongue came brushing her lower lip, and soon their tongue started a heated dance together, and both didn't care about the lack of air. Only this mattered. His skin against hers. His lips and their warmth. She moaned unwillingly when his hips crashed against hers and her body shouted for more. But she finally stepped away, her eyes opening slowly to meet his. Her breathing was heavy and fast, as if she just had run a marathon. He smiled softly and kissed her again. This time, it was more loving and sweet. She smiled against his lips and a little laugh escaped her.

"What is it?" He asked, pulling away.

"I just never thought you would be the romantic type."

"I can be whatever you want me to be, Reyna."

"I just want you. The real you."

"And _I'm_ the romantic one now?"

"Shut up!" She laughed and turned to look at the stars surrounding them.

It really was romantic. And she didn't mind one bit. Actually, she found it perfect for their first kiss. She loved it so much and she hoped he did too. She felt so alive now, as if every cell of her body decided to shine and dance. It was amazing. She wanted to feel this way for the rest of her life. They stayed here a couple of minutes before Reyna asked him to show her his palace. They walked in the castle in silence but it was surprisingly light and comfortable. And every time his hand brushed hers, it would set fire to her body and make her heart go crazy.

"Your Highness!" Yelled a voice behind them and both turned around to face a guard, dressed in black and running. He finally stopped, his breath fast. "The council is asking for your presence." He inhaled and his eyes rested on Reyna for a second before turning again toward the Prince. "It's urgent."

Perseus nodded and followed the guard quickly, Reyna walking beside him. They followed the man for a minute or two, and arrived in a familiar room. She remembered it perfectly, with its dark walls and long table in the center which was now surrounded by men, all sitting on wooden chairs that were empty in her dream. She remembered how the Prince was sitting at the end of it, with his head in his hands.

"Sit there." He whispered in her ear, pointing to the chair opposite to him at the other hand of the table.

She realized every pair of eyes were watching them with accusation or curiosity in them. But Reyna wasn't intimidated or shy, so she kept her chin up and walked toward the chair where she sat in silence while the Prince sat in front of her. The men glanced at both of them with questions obvious in their minds but Reyna smirked a little at them, to show that they won't have answers so soon.

"You asked for me. Now talk." His tone was so formal and yet menacing, threatening anyone to not make him waste his time and there was an urge in it that made Reyna's heart beat faster. He didn't want to be here, and neither did she.

"Gaea is preparing an attack on Earth. She's already gathered a strong army. I'm afraid we will be outnumbered very soon, my Lord. We have to act, and now." Started a man, his voice threatening the fear he felt.

"He's right, Your Highness. As much as I hate to admit it, we are at war. And you were the one, without disrespect, to start it. It's your role to end it." Continued another and his statement resulted in a dark glare from the Prince that made him flinch.

"Your men are ready to fight, we have weapons and armors, and we have everything we need to win this war and fast." Reassured another man who obviously wanted to help his friend.

"They are well trained, most of them have been soldiers for thousands of years. They have known many wars and fought in most of them. We will win this war."

"We will fight beside you, my Lord."

"Very well, Councilors. I believe you have said everything you wanted." This was his way to tell to shut up. Smooth. "When and where will occur the attack?"

"We don't know, Sir. Probably in a few days and we think it will happen in New York."

"New York?" Repeated the Prince with an eyebrow raised.

"Yes, Your Highness. Where the Olympus is situated. Gaea wants to overthrow them and destroy the Greek demigods at the same time. Their camp is also near New York." Answered another man.

"Greek demigods?" Reyna asked with shock, not caring about how the heads turned to glare at her.

"Yes, Praetor. There are not just Roman demigods in America. The Greeks are still alive and are also fighting against Gaea and her forces." Replied a man close to the Prince.

This was a difficult information to register. All her life, Reyna believed that Romans were the only demigods existing in the world. Now, knowing that there were other demigods and Greeks on top of that, was hard to swallow. She met Perseus's eyes and he nodded in order to calm her and encourage her to move on. Which she did. This was not the subject and there was more important things to think about.

"Very well, Councilors. I will gather my army and set camp into Camp Jupiter in order to protect it from another attack. We will train the demigods there and prepare them for what is coming. My men and the Praetors of the camp will make up a strategy for the battle in New York. Every one of my man and guard, horse and weapon will leave for Camp Jupiter in a few hours. We will be ready for it." At the end of his explanation, the Prince stood and decided that the Council was over by walking away, quickly followed by the Roman Praetor.

"Thank you." She whispered, her head down. She was ashamed by how bad she needed his help and how precious he would be for the coming battle. Romans were supposed to be strong, to seek no one's help. But she knew that Gaea would crush them in a second without an ounce of regret. She knew she needed him. He stopped in his track and turned to face her, his finger gently grabbing her chin to make her look at him. "For saving me. Twice. For saving my camp and helping the wounded and for the rebuilt. And now for helping us win this war."

"There's nothing to be ashamed of, Praetor." And his voice was so calming and warm that she closed her eyes, focusing on his words. "I told you I would protect you, no matter what happens and no matter where we are. And if protecting you means protecting your people, then I shall do it without any question." He came closer, his forehead touching hers. "I won't lose you Reyna."

She swallowed with difficulty and his last words echoed in her mind. She couldn't help the feeling of safety building in her chest, hiding between her bones and heart. It seemed a whole weight disappeared from her shoulders and she could breathe more easily than before.

"And I won't lose you." She added with a small smile.

"Whatever happens, my home is your home. If things turn for the worst, you will be welcome here."

She opened her eyes and watched into his green orbs. Honesty and a glimpse of affection were glinting in them and she realized at this moment that no matter what happened, she would have him. They could go anywhere they want and do whatever they wanted because all they needed was each other. But they had an army to fight and a war to win. But it didn't matter; because they were together.

ℂ

They were standing side by side in front of four hundred soldiers, weapon in one hand and shield around their forearm. Their eyes focused and dark, their minds set on the coming battle. She recognized Patroclus in front of the army and another man that she never met before but the only thing she could see of him under his hood was his black eyes. The men were ready and waiting for their Prince's orders.

"Soldiers." He started, his eyes traveling from faces to faces. "War is coming and our duty reside in protecting the demigods, their camp and the Earth. We will fight beside them and protect them as if they were our own. We will live among them until they're ready, we will train them and show them the real art of fighting; we will transform them into soldiers worthy of this army. I count on you as the Earth does. We must destroy Gaia's forces and then take care of the Goddess herself. It won't be easy, I won't lie to you brothers. But I know each one of you and I know you will fight for what is right, no matter if it is the last thing you do. So today we're going on Earth and we will fight. For the Kingdom. For Earth."

Cheers erupted from the lines of soldiers, spears and swords were raised in the air and smiles appeared on harsh faces. These men were going to fight for her. For her people. For her world. And she couldn't help but feel joy fill her body and mind. What could go wrong with an army of such soldiers and commanded by such a Prince? Nothing and everything at the same time.


	7. Chapter 6

I honestly love this chapter. I enjoyed writing it so much, and I hope you will love reading it just as much. Also, thank you for all the kind reviews, and I try to consider every remark because it can only improve my writing or the story. Anyway, enjoy.

**On the previous chapter : **

_"Cheers erupted from the lines of soldiers, spears and swords were raised in the air and smiles appeared on harsh faces. These men were going to fight for her. For her people. For her world. And she couldn't help but feel joy fill her body and mind. What could go wrong with an army of such soldiers and commanded by such a Prince? Nothing and everything at the same time."_

* * *

**Chapter 6.**

Tears of Darkness

ℂ

* * *

_"If you gave someone your heart and they died, did they take it with them? Did you spend the rest of forever with a hole inside you that couldn't be filled?"  
―_ Jodi Picoult._  
_

* * *

But when they arrived at Camp Jupiter, things were not as when Reyna left. The first thing she saw was the giant boat floating in the air and the dragon's head that seemed to watch every Roman with its red eyes. The boat was breathtaking but Reyna immediately took this presence as a threat. So she ran away from the Prince and his army, hurrying to the clearing under the boat's position. What she saw made the air leave her lungs like a punch in the throat. Romans were gathered there along with other teenagers she had never seen before. They had orange shirts and all the same necklace around their necks. She ran toward Jason, easily recognizable in the crowd of teenagers. He stood out with his blond hair and red cloak.

"Jason!" She screamed and the boy turned to face her, his blue eyes wary. "What's going on? Who are these people?" She asked once she was standing in front of him, her fear and apprehension obvious in the shaking of her voice.

"They are Greek demigods. Coming from Camp Half-Blood near New York." He immediately spoke again, seeing how hard the expression on her face became, "they are no threat to us or the city. Everything's fine Rey."

"How can you know that? You don't even know them! What happened to us being wary and protecting the city before everything else?" She shouted, frustrated and angry at the same time.

"Rey–"

"No, there's no _Rey_ or whatever. You're Praetor, your role is to protect the people in priority–"

"Rey for fuck sake!"

"What?" She yelled and followed his stare. "Oh." She whispered, finally understanding why he was so shocked.

Silence fell on the clearing, every eyes turned toward the army and their leader. She hadn't realized how scary they looked before, but standing there and watching from her position made her realize how frightening they looked with their black armors and weapons, with the Prince in front and his golden crown on top of his head. If a mortal saw the situation, he would have immediately thought that the Dark Army was here to destroy the mere demigods by the feral looks on their faces. Jason's eyes widened at the sight and everyone had the same expressions: shock and fear. This was what the army inspired. They radiated power and violence, such a feeling made everyone's heart stop and brain shut down. Every demigod present knew what war was but seeing this army coming straight at them slowly but surely, made fear built in their chest. But Reyna simply smiled. This army was here to help them. To save them.

She stepped forward and headed toward the Prince who looked amazing with his crown, his black and golden coat. He stopped and his army imitated him, digging the butt of their spears in the earth, waiting for orders. None of the soldiers met the demigods' gazes, they simply looked forward and stood straight. The Prince walked toward Reyna until they were face to face.

"Maybe you should let me do the talk, alright?" She whispered and he nodded once in understanding. "Thank you again, you have no idea how grateful I am." She smiled and he did too. "I owe you."

She turned to look at the demigods in front of her, watching each one of her move and fear obvious in their eyes. She knew what it was like to be afraid and to know the end was close. But right now, this was not what she was feeling. She felt bravery, pride, joy. She felt reckless and indestructible. With the Prince by her side and the Dark Army behind her, she felt like everything was possible and winning this war was inevitable. She had a god beside her and soldiers in her back. Everything would be okay. And for a few minutes, she actually believed it.

"Demigods, I understand your confusion but there are no worries to have." She started, speaking loud enough so everyone could hear her. "The Prince, son of Nyx the goddess of Night and Erebus, god of Darkness, heir to Chaos's throne and his army right here will fight by our side during the war against Gaea. You have no reason to fear them. They are here to help us training so each one of you shall respect and acknowledge them as our allies. I'm not asking you to befriend them. I ask one simple thing of you; act like respectable Romans and Greeks."

When she finished her speech, every eye turned to the Prince, some were wary whereas others were awed. But none took their weapons out or disobeyed to the direct order of their Praetor. She looked at them all. Three different worlds, three different people and one goal. They would have to be united and bound to achieve their goal. It wouldn't be easy, she knew that. But it didn't mean she couldn't try.

ℂ

"What will you do once the war will be over?"

They were sitting on the hill on the city's side where they could see the street lights and campfires here and there where Romans and Greeks gathered to talk. The grass was tickling their bare arms and the sun had already disappeared long hours ago replaced by the calming moonlight. Sometimes, the Prince would summon a shadow or two and show Reyna how he could make it fly in the air and make shapes with it. He was strangely calm tonight and the frown on his forehead had faded ever since they sat there an hour or two ago. She realized how much she loved spending time with him, like this, or in any other way. She didn't really care. At her question, he looked up at the moon and looked thoughtful for a few seconds before lying down on the grass, his green eyes still scanning the stars above them.

"I will become King." He finally replied.

She looked at him with wide eyes, surprised not only by his answer but also by the tone he used. He said that as if it was a common thing to become the King of a Kingdom and the rest of the Universe.

"What?" He asked, finally realizing the surprise in her eyes. He genuinely had no idea why she would react this way, and that made Reyna laugh and lie beside him, her stomach still shaking from laughter. "What?" He repeated with a little smile on his own. He decided that he loved the sound of her laugh.

She looked at him and laughed harder until her side hurt. She saw the confusion appearing on his face and she tried to stop but only to start again. She had no idea why she was laughing now. But it felt so good. He frowned and rolled to be on top of her, his knees on each side of her hips. That made her stop laughing immediately. He pinned her wrists above her head and came closer until his nose touched hers. The feeling of his body against hers, so close that it felt like the two melted together, was magical. She loved it, every part of him touching her set fire to her mind and body, a fire so high and dangerous that she shivered.

"Were you laughing at me, Praetor?" He asked threateningly.

"Absolutely not, Your Highness." She smiled and brushed her lips against his but only to see him withdrew.

"Not so easy, woman."

She tried to slip out of his grab but his hand held her wrists with such strength that she was unable to move. He offered her a small smile before ducking his head and lightly brushing his lips to her exposed neck. She whimpered from the lack of touch, her body screaming for more. He chuckled against her skin and kissed it softly. Her head hit the ground at the pleasure coursing her veins and her lips parted to let a low moan out. Her heart raced so fast that she could feel the pulse in her throat and for a few seconds, the beating of it was all she could hear. She started to breathe heavily, her body taking over her mind. His lips against her skin was all she wanted and yet she kept thinking that she needed more. She couldn't think straight anymore, her body was too hot and the fire didn't want to cool down, making her mouth dry and body shaking. He looked up and raised his head to meet her eyes.

"You didn't answer my question."

She smiled and crushed her lips against his, this time she was too fast for him. He let her and kissed her back, his hand losing itself in her dark hair. She melted into the kiss and touch, her hands finally free discovering the body hovering hers. She could feel the muscles under the layers of clothes and the strength in his arms and abdomen. There was nothing sweet about the way he was built, it was nothing but sharpness and strength. And she loved it. He withdrew, an amused look in his shiny eyes.

"You will be King." She whispered, her brain finally registering the news and realization dropping on her like a bomb. "You will be King and I will be Praetor." Her stomach twisted and she put her hands on his chest to push him away softly. Her eyes rested on her shaky hands and she started to pant.

"Reyna?"

"You will be the King." She finally looked up and he frowned at the look on her face.

"Yes, I will Reyna. It's my destiny."

"No, you don't understand." She sat up and he did too beside her, confusion obvious on his pale face. "You will be in your Kingdom and you will reign. I will stay here and…" _And we won't be together_, she thought but couldn't say it out loud. She shrugged, trying to fight against the lump in her throat and cursing herself a million times in her head.

This was not supposed to happen. Her and him. They were not meant to be. She finally realized it. He was meant to become the King and she was destined to become a Praetor. They were not from the same rank of family and definitely not from the same world. They didn't have the same blood rushing through their veins and the same responsibilities. He would become the King of the Universe and who would she become? She would rule a camp, not an entire world. This was not possible, she realized with tears in her eyes. This, them. Nothing of it could become real and strong. This was nothing. She stood up, under his confused gaze and walked away. What was the purpose of all this? Absolutely nothing. He was a god. She was just a girl who happened to have a Goddess as a mother. Just another pawn in the Gods' game. She was nothing to this world and he was everything. She felt his hand on her shoulder and he turned her so she would face him.

"What's the meaning of this Reyna?"

"You really don't get it, do you?" She laughed bitterly, her tears threatening to fall. "You will sit on your beautiful throne every day and rule a world, and then you will fall asleep in your majestic bed beside your queen and you will close your eyes thinking that everything is so damn perfect. For the eternity! And who would I be? Huh? What would I do? I will stay here and I will die in battle at nineteen or if I'm lucky twenty. Or maybe I will die tomorrow. You will never be mine and I will never be yours." She swallowed with difficulty, her eyes still piercing his. "You're a god, for fuck sake. And who am I? No one." She shrugged, a sad smile installing itself on her lips. "I don't know. Maybe this was not supposed to happen. Maybe all of this is a mistake. You will find someone else, someone immortal who could become your queen." She turned again, her tears finally falling and cascading down her cheeks.

"Is that what you really think?" He called after her, his voice hard and bitter. "That we're a mistake?"

She didn't answer and kept walking. She could feel her heart aching and all she wanted was to get away, to hide somewhere in the dark and let everything fall apart while she watched. War was coming and love wouldn't save her. It wouldn't save anyone. She had to be strong. For herself and her camp. She had to fight and remember for who and for what she was doing it. But at the moment, she was tempted to be weak. Just for once, she allowed herself to be weak. She let the tears fall in silence and her feet guiding her to her cabin. Once in it, she let her body slide down the door and she breathed heavily, but the tears never stopped falling that night.

She wasn't crying about him anymore. But for the life she would never have. She was seventeen and what was her life exactly? Wars, violence, ruling a camp. That wasn't what she wanted. Maybe tomorrow she would die in battle and realize that her whole life was dust, ashes that would simply scatter in the wind and disappear until no one remembered it.

That was her life. That was who she was.

And for the first time, she cried about it.

ℂ

"Reyna!" A voice yelled while opening the door of her cabin. "They are here!"

She woke up in startle and met Jason's blue eyes. He was already wearing his golden armor and she heard the battle cries outside. She stood and put her armor on, begging her brain to shake itself and focus on the upcoming battle. She ran out of the cabin, Jason beside her. She saw the monsters first. They were so many of them, she could see them on the hill and in the clearing but also in the streets. She swallowed and ran into the chaos.

She raised her sword above her head and immediately slashed a monster's belly then drove the blade through his heart. She spun on her heels and sank her weapon in another's chest before twisting the blade and taking it back, the blood spattering on her face and clothes. She blinked and kicked a monster in the knee before slitting his throat. She moved forward, her eyes scanning her surroundings. She grabbed an empousa's hair and dived her sword in her back then did it again right through her heart. She pushed the corpse which landed ungracefully on the ground. She moved on to a Cyclops who had his back turned on her and drove her sword through the back of his knee then the back of his neck with such speed that what everyone else saw was a dark blur and the blood soon followed by ashes. She smiled when she saw a hellhound ready to jump on her. She let it run toward her and when it finally left the earth, she sank her blade in its chest. She coughed lightly when it turned into ashes but she kept on killing every monster her eyes laid upon.

She slashed, parried, dived and every time she was rewarded by blood. Her dark aura was now stronger than it ever was, flowing around her with danger and violence. Her body knew what to do and she let it take control. The darkness in her veins was so massive that she didn't feel the multiple cuts on her skin nor the broken rib in her side. She didn't care. And the darkness gave her strength and speed, which was all she needed to defend herself and her camp.

She dodged a blow and answered by a stronger one that cut the giant's belly, his inside landing at his feet. She had no time to realize how gross it was before she saw another monster attacking her. She stopped his blade with her own and grunted at the shock. She pushed him and arched her weapon in the air aiming his face. The blade cut his cheek deeply and she ignored his cry of pain, sinking her sword in his throat. She yelled in fury and continued to fight.

Every monster she met ended up in ashes. And every demigod who met her, stepped back at the sight of the Praetor with her dark hair and the darker aura that surrounded her. Her body seemed to attract the darkness and shadows until they were swimming all around her. But everyone turned around when a blast of this same darkness erupted from somewhere far in the battlefield. Screams of terror and pain raised in the air but the blow never reached the demigods. Once it faded, the Prince appeared in the center, his eyes as black as the Underworld and his dark armor glinting in the sun.

Reyna took advantage of the monster's fear and made her way toward Jason, slashing every monster on her way and stabbing others. The battle started again, the demigods' hope and rage stronger than before. They knew it was possible. And there is nothing stronger than hope.

But just when Reyna thought this, the Prince met her eyes and everything inside of her seemed to freeze. That's when she saw the shadow behind him. A giant woman appeared and towered him. She had no time to scream that hands encircled his neck and his eyes widened at the pressure and pain. Gaea crushed his windpipe with her bare hands and golden blood started to pour out of the lips she kissed just last night. She screamed his name, the sound carried away by the wind. Gaea smiled at her with threat and her brown eyes were showing all the joy she was feeling to have the Prince in such a weak position. She dug her nails in his skin and his eyes went back to the green she knew so perfectly well. They never left hers. He choked on his blood and managed to mouth "I'm sorry" before a blast of darkness enveloped the entire city and valley. She screamed at the top of her lungs, not caring about the fire in her throat and how hard her knees met the ground. She kept screaming until her voice broke down and despair took over her.

She couldn't help but watch the place he stood at even though she couldn't see a damn thing in the dark. But she knew he was gone. She could feel the darkness in her body screaming for him and their screams only finding void. There was no answer. His darkness was gone. She cried and the pain, worse than the physical one, tore her inside apart and seemed to break every rib and bone in one single blow.

The darkness faded and she saw his golden blood on the ground. Gaea was gone too and every monster had become dust, hit by the powerful dark blow. Every Dark Soldier stopped and watched as their leader, Prince and friend, was gone. The only sound was her cries. She bended over, her forehead hitting the ground and she yelled. Her skin was on fire and the darkness cried with her, for their owner and their lover. The pain was worse than what she had ever experienced before and she couldn't bear it, she wanted it to end. But it left her numb.

Her screams stopped and she looked at an indefinite spot in front of her, her eyes empty and blank.

So that was real pain. It shattered you in millions of pieces and left you there, panting and hollow. It left you and still, you could feel it somewhere deep down, hiding between two bones.

She called for him, grabbing the moon pendant resting against her chest. She clenched it as if her life depended on it. And he answered her. A hysterical laugh left her lips when she felt the darkness swiped over her. It was weak and yet it was here. He was here. Wherever he was, he was with her.

And wherever he was, she would find him.


	8. Chapter 7

**Small chapter. **Because I really wanted to write this scene, no matter how small it would be. So here it is, new chapter coming very soon. I'll update more now that exams are over. Enjoy!

**On the previous chapter :**

_"She called for him, grabbing the moon pendant resting against her chest. She clenched it as if her life depended on it. And he answered her. A hysterical laugh left her lips when she felt the darkness swiped over her. It was weak and yet it was here. He was here. Wherever he was, he was with her._

_And wherever he was, she would find him."_

* * *

**Chapter 7.**

Blood of Darkness

ℂ

* * *

_"The damage was permanent; there would always be scars. But even the angriest scars faded over time until it was difficult to see them written on the skin at all, and the only thing that remained was the memory of how painful it had been." _  
― Jodi Picoult.

* * *

"You know why your father hates you so much?" Gaea asked to the Prince who was barely conscious now after hours of torture. "I'll tell you." She smiled and he watched her, his eyes still so sure and emotionless. If she couldn't break him physically, then she would have to find another way. "Because you're not good enough. Do you really believe that one day you will become the King and do you honestly think your father would let you sit on the throne and obey your orders?" She laughed and she saw a little smile appear on his bloody lips. He dared to be arrogant even in that situation. "You have guts, I'll give you that. But it will never be enough, Percy."

"It was enough when I killed every last monster of your army three days ago."

"Oh but that wasn't my entire army, just a small fraction of it." She kneeled in front of him, her fingers wiping the blood off his lower lip and chin. "What a shame to hurt such a pretty face."

He spat his blood at her face and she froze for a few seconds, rage building in her chest. She grabbed his throat and pressed harder than ever. He simply looked at her while the air left his lungs, having too much pride for begging or choking. She violently hit the back of his head against the wall and smiled when she heard the loud _crack_ of his skull.

"That's no Prince manners." She cleaned herself with the back of her hand and looked at him, his eyes unfocused and lost. She came closer to him until her lips brushed his ear. "You should have listened to your mommy. You can't defeat me child." She whispered before stepping back and getting back on her feet.

She watched him, his eyes closing with exhaustion and his golden blood covering his face and body. There was no denying in the beauty of his features and the gold contrasted well with the green and blue of his eyes. If Gaea had mercy, she would let him live. But she didn't. In the end, he would be just another corpse fallen on the battlefield, no matter who his parents were. And she couldn't wait to see the life leaving his body and see his so shiny eyes become blank.

That was all she wanted; break the Prince and the demigods will follow. Without him and his Dark Army, the demigods were nothing. Just a small obstacle on her road toward the throne. And then everything would follow. No demigods meant no one to protect the mortals and the Gods. It will be quick after that. She simply needed to fulfill the first task: kill the Prince.

His handcuffs clinked as his arms tensed from the pain. Not a scream left his throat, even though he badly wanted to let it go. He kept his eyes closed tight and his jaw clenched, trying to forget the blade cutting his skin or the whip connecting with his back. He tried to forget the scent of his own blood and its stickiness all over his body. But he couldn't ignore the words and threats floating around him.

"You know what I will do that little girlfriend of yours?" Asked Gaea while brushing her blade across his neck. "I will slit her throat and make you watch. You will see her bleed out and I will laugh the entire time."

He couldn't forget the tone of her voice and the images it created in his mind. He wondered often about Reyna. Her wide eyes watching him never left his thoughts. How she called for him with despair and pure fury. He couldn't shake off the sound of her screams echoing inside his skull and how desperate she was for him. So he stayed strong for her. Whenever the pain became too intense, he would remind himself of her smile and the sound of her laughter, the taste of her lips on his. It helped forgetting about the reality.

The blade cut the skin of his shoulder and he opened his eyes to meet Gaea's brown ones. He watched her with such coldness that she had to suppress a shiver. There was an obvious threat in them. _Keep going and we will reverse the roles. _He looked scary like this, his eyes darkening to leave nothing but darkness in his orbs. No more pupils or white. Just darkness. She stepped back when he got on his feet, not even wincing at the pain it created in his entire body. He simply stood and watched her with a small smirk.

"Can you feel them coming, goddess? Because I can."

And she could too. The shadows were coming.


	9. Chapter 8

Sorry for the wait, busy week. But as always, hope you enjoy :).

**On the previous chapter :**

_"__"Can you feel them coming, goddess? Because I can."_

_And she could too. The shadows were coming."_

* * *

**Chapter 8.**

Prince of Darkness

ℂ

* * *

_"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage." _  
― Lao Tzu.

* * *

She kept watching the darkness fade until none of it stayed, the landscape and the city was back to how it was a few hours ago, empty of enemies and danger. But it was also empty of him. And that's what broke her heart and left a sour taste on her tongue.

She kept watching where his feet were minutes ago, repeating the same words again and again, not even aware that they were escaping her mouth in a low whisper.

_I will find you. I will find you._

She closed her eyes, the small pendant still in her hand. She would find him. And she would never let him go again.

_Your darkness is mine. As my darkness is yours._

It didn't matter what she would have to go through, or the things she will have to do to bring him back. She would do it without a single second of hesitation. Not only for the camp or the war, but mainly for herself. So she raised on her feet and wiped the tears on her cheeks. That's when she realized everyone was watching her. And Patroclus was standing just before her with pain and sorrow in his black eyes. But she wanted none of it.

"Call Nyx." She simply said with a harsh tone that made everyone flinch. But Patroclus smiled and nodded.

She would do everything she could to get him back. And to do so, she would need help. She knew exactly what to do and soon enough she will be by his side again. She walked toward the city, demigods stepping aside when they found themselves on her path, fearing the dark aura around the Praetor that threatened anyone to not get too close. But she ignored it, her chin high and eyes focused on the sight in front of her. If she had to be strong to find him, then she'll embody strength. She will be what he needs her to be.

ℂ

It had been three days. Three entire days without sleep and a very small quantity of food. She felt hollow inside, turning everything into a dull and pale version of the world. The more hours passed, the more the darkness inside of her became restless. It needed its owner. And it was hurting. She had no idea and yet her brain kept imagining the same scenario. If his darkness was hurt, hers too. That's why she couldn't sleep or eat. It felt as if her blood was boiling and all she could do was feel it. Nyx came on the second day, unaware of what happened to her dear son. And when she finally was, an army of dark and scary creatures was raised from the confines of Tartarus, rage in their black blood and their minds focused on their Prince.

On the third day, the Goddess had gathered an army of thousands of creatures. And they were ready to fight for him, to bring him back where he belonged. Reyna watched them from afar, sitting on her chair, her body weak and eyes red. They were beautiful, the way they would move with grace and dance with the wind. Sometimes they would come to see her and they would kneel in front of her, their foreheads touching her feet. They would call her _prinkípissa. _Princess. They could feel the darkness flowing in her veins. Their Prince's darkness. And the Goddess could too. They could also feel the connection between the two of them, the way she would flinch when he was hurt, struck by the leather of a whip or the blade of a sword. They were bounded beyond comprehension and the darkness of these creatures could feel it. They were meant to be. Together in life and death.

"You should eat."

"Yes, I should. Doesn't mean I want to, Patroclus." Even her voice was weak, the words leaving her tongue too slowly.

"Reyna, if you keep ignoring your needs this way, you won't even be alive when he'll be back."

"I only need one thing. And food or water isn't it."

"Do it for him." He urged, concerned by the black circles under her red eyes, the way her cheeks became hollow and her lips chapped. "He wouldn't like to see you this way."

He had never seen her this way, her smile and good mood disappeared beneath the darkness and pain. He knew she could feel every stroke, every cut and every blow. And it was killing her as it was killing him.

"Please, Reyna."

Blood poured out of her nose slowly, touching her bruised lips and she closed her eyes, trying to ignore the urge to throw up. The pain was too much. Patroclus gently wiped it away with a tissue, his eyes scanning every each of feature with a sweetness that surprised even himself. The Prince, his officer and friend, was being tortured and there was nothing he could do except watch the repercussions it had on the Praetor. He wondered if he died, would she follow? Would her darkness give up and stop her beating heart? So he slowly took her head in his callused hands and pressed her cheek against his chest, his hand lost in her dark hair.

"I will bring him back to you." He whispered, making a promise to her but mostly to himself.

He had known the Prince for thousands of years. He had saved his life multiple times. And today was the day he will pay him back.

ℂ

Reyna watched from the clearing's edge with dull eyes and heavy eyelids as the army gathered in the clearing, soldiers and monsters side by side to get back their Prince. She felt her heart beat faster for the first time in three days. She could still hear Patroclus's voice in her mind. _I will bring him back to you. _And she smiled a little when her eyes met his. _Bring him back to me._ He nodded as if he had heard her thought and in a matter of seconds, Nyx was here before her army, and they all disappeared, swallowed by darkness. The left with a cry of rage and shouting the Prince's name. For his honor and his life. For his power and his mercy. They would find him and bring him back.

They found themselves in a valley where the sun was shining and the grass was as green as in New Rome. An abandoned manor was barely standing in the middle of it, its grey and black stones old and damaged. But the power coming from it made it unimportant. The army walked toward the house, their steps determined and hard. Nyx ordered the creatures to take flight and attack. They raised in the air, showing their black wings and flied toward the building. Soon the windows shattered in a million of glass pieces, landing on the grass or the floor of the house. They heard screams and when Patroclus finally arrived at the door, he saw a creatures grab a Cyclops' arm, ripping it and throwing it on the cold ground. He then closed its jaw around the Cyclops' neck and kill it instantly. The creatures were flying above his head, flipping their beautiful wings and swimming in darkness. Ashes was covering the floor and the very few furniture in the wide hall. Another dark creature dived its dangerously long claws in a monster's back and opening its belly. Soon enough, it was empty. They entered the house and searched every room, finding nothing. Patroclus found stairs leading down and after calling a few men, they walked down the stairs, eager to find their Prince.

Immediately the scent of blood swiped over them and made them want to walk away. Then they saw it. The blood was everywhere. On the floor and the walls. And finally his eyes found him. He ran to his Prince, his heart beating so fast with apprehension and fear. His body was limp, crushed against the ground like a broken doll. He was lying on his side, his eyes closed and breath uneven. The blood covered his entire face and Patroclus was sure that underneath his clothes, he would find more. His heart stopped at the sight of his friend in such a condition and a lump formed in his throat. A Prince should never find himself in this kind of situation. And yet here he was, barely alive and suffering. He did not deserve it. _I should have protected him. I should have done something. _That's all he could tell himself when he was looking at his friend before him. Broken.

He shook his shoulders, hoping to see his green eyes again. But when they did, they were pure darkness. But it didn't matter what color they were because he was alive. And that's the only thing that mattered at this moment.

"It's alright. Everything will be okay."

He took the Prince's head and pressed his bloody forehead against his shoulder. Just like he did with Reyna. They stayed like this a few minutes, Patroclus enjoying the Prince's presence and trying to comfort him whereas the Prince rested against his friend's secure body. He allowed himself to be weak just a few seconds. He had fought too hard against pain and he deserved it.

"Come on. We're going home."

"I want to see her." He whispered, his voice rough and too deep.

"You should rest and heal in peace."

"After I see her."

"Fine. You stubborn, stupid little creature." Patroclus replied with an exasperated sigh. They were so much alike, him and her.

They walked out of the house, the Prince wincing at the light and supported by two soldiers. His mother embraced him, breathing comforting words in his ear and cleaned him from all his blood. His eyes were back to the beautiful green and blue mix that Nyx and everyone else loved so much. Patroclus could see the way he was standing with difficulty on his feet and the way he scanned his surroundings. She didn't break him. She never will; no one will. No matter how hurt he was, he would still stand proud and strong. He ate a good amount of ambrosia and even though the pain was still visible on his face, the soldier knew he would be able to teleport and see Reyna without any problem. So they left the valley in a dark cloud and arrived in New Rome where the sun was already disappearing. The Prince walked alone toward the city, his feet guiding him to the cabin where she was.

Her darkness was calling him with despair and love. Before he even knew it, he was running. He couldn't bear to hear its pained calls, its sorrow and rage. He ignored the questioning looks of the Romans and Greeks, his feet pounding the ground hard and his black cloak floating behind him. The only thing that mattered was her. Being away from her, hearing her pain and her broken voice was what threatened to break him, not the torture. She could break him in half with just a few words, and there was no denying in the fact that it scared him. He remembered saying a few weeks ago that he wasn't born to love but to destroy. And yet at this moment, the two seemed one. To love is to destroy, no matter if we do it on purpose or not. But he kept running until he found himself in front of the door, his hand reaching for the handle. _What will she be like? What am I like?_ It's only been three days and yet he felt as if it had been years. He didn't feel much different, but he knew something inside of him had broken; he was angrier at the world and angrier at himself. It wasn't pain he was feeling but rage. And sometimes it was worse.

He opened the door slowly, letting the few sunrays enter the dark room. She didn't even move or look up. Her dark eyes were red and puffy, her hair was in knots and she stayed immobile, sitting on the edge of her bed, her eyes watching the wall in front of her. His heart tightened at the sight. But even like this, she was still the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. There was a certain charm and sweetness in her features and her position, no matter how bad she was feeling at the moment. He stepped forward, closing the door behind him and his eyes never left her. His heart was beating against his rib cage, the loud sound echoing in his mind. He stood before her, her eyes looking at his abdomen and yet not seeing him. So he knelt so her eyes would be at the same height as his, and he cupped her cheek sweetly and with great care. His forehead locked with hers and at the touch, her eyes began to focus on him and he saw a little smile appear on her pale and bruised lips. She opened her mouth to speak but no sound came out, her throat blocked by the surprise of seeing him here so soon. Her hands rested on his cheeks, her thumbs stroking them lightly. She came closer to him, her nose touching his.

They shared the same air. The same pain. But the same love.

Her hands found themselves in his hair, fisting it and stroking it. Their breaths were fast and loud, mingling together. But not for a single second their eyes unlocked. They simply breathed each other in, sharing their happiness and relief to be with the other once again. They were putting everything in their gestures, their pain and sorrow, their love and relief.

"I – I missed you so much." She whispered and he closed the gap between the two of them, touching her lips with his lightly before deepening the kiss.

"I missed you too."

And she lied on her side, the Prince holding her, his chest against her back. He kept his fingers intertwined with hers and waited until she fell asleep against him, her body finally relaxing after three hard days. It had been hard for him to see her this way, hurt because of him even though he knew that deep down it wasn't his fault, but he couldn't help himself to think he could have done something different and help her. So he held her the entire night, his arms around her protectively. He wished this moment could last forever, but tomorrow the war will begin again and they will have to fight for each other, and for the mortals. But he stopped thinking about war, because she was here with him and nothing else mattered.


	10. Chapter 9

Long chapter. Not so interesting but still, hope you enjoy :).

**On the previous chapter :**

_"So he held her the entire night, his arms around her protectively. He wished this moment could last forever, but tomorrow the war will begin again and they will have to fight for each other, and for the mortals. But he stopped thinking about war, because she was here with him and nothing else mattered."_

* * *

**Chapter 9.**

King of Darkness

ℂ

* * *

_"Be not the slave of your own past - plunge into the sublime seas, dive deep, and swim far, _

_so you shall come back with new self-respect, with new power, and with an advanced experience that shall explain and overlook the old." _  
― Ralph Waldo Emerson.

* * *

When she woke up in the middle of the night, the moon still glowing high in the sky, the first thing she felt was the emptiness surrounding her, as if something essential was missing. She turned on her back and found herself alone in the bed. She had hoped to see him lying beside her, just so his eyes would be the first thing she would see when she'd wake up. But he was already gone, the sheets cold and crumpled. She sighed and a little smile appeared on her face as she remembered the events of the day before. She hadn't forget their argument four days ago, but it felt so wrong to think about this when he was just a few meters away from her. It felt wrong to believe they weren't possible. The only thing that felt right was having him by her side and falling asleep with his arms around her.

But she also knew what kind of man he was. And he was not the type to give away his heart so easily. She knew she would have to earn his trust and love. But it would be worth it.

ℂ

She was in the middle of a council, a dozen of Roman and Greek demigods around the same table discussing war matters; how they should protect the camp and how they should defeat Gaia's army. But she kept her gaze on the Prince sitting at the other end of the table, his arms crossed against his chest and a bored look on his handsome features. He was wearing a crown made of diamonds and rubies, contrasting with the black of his clothes. The voices around her were a distant sounds, like the crash of waves against the sand, nothing more. He never met her gaze, too focused on the table in front of him or the floor. But he finally looked up when Patroclus approached, a deep frown on his face which looked a little bit too pale. He bent to murmur something in the Prince's ear whose head jerked to the side, his eyes wide and watching his friend and general, trying to decode his expression. Patroclus looked down as if he was actually regretting something and the Prince jumped on his feet, earning glances from every person around the table.

"If you'll excuse me." He muttered under his breath and walked away, "Patroclus, speak for me until I'm back." The interested nodded at his Prince and sat on the chair he was comfortably installed in a few seconds ago.

He didn't look pleased to find himself here, under all those pair of eyes watching him with curiosity, and even less pleased by what he had said to the Prince. But he still stayed until the council was over and during which, none decision was taken. It was always the same babbling, the same ideas but never concrete plans or decisions which made Reyna more and more frustrated. But her mind was elsewhere for the moment. And more precisely on Patroclus and the Prince who left the room about two hours ago. So she made her way toward a tired and concerned Patroclus, his eyes boring into the table.

"Something's wrong?"

He looked up at the sound of her voice, his eyes threatening the anxiety he was feeling. "No, everything's fine."

"You dare lie to me?"

He sighed in defeat, aware that lying wouldn't change anything at the situation he was in. "Sorry. It's just… Things are happening in the Kingdom."

She tilted her head to the side, and sat on the closest chair. "What kind of things?"

"Chaos is dying. People are asking for a new king and queen. They are also complaining about their life and so many other things. It's hard to keep up really."

"Wow, wow hold on. Chaos is _dying_?"

She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Chaos was one of the oldest deities, one of the first Primordial, the origin of everything, surely he couldn't simply die. It couldn't just end this way for someone so important. It couldn't. But the hard expression on his face and the way his brows furrowed answered for him. Chaos really was dying. Which meant Perseus was going to be King. He would take the crown and the throne to rule the Kingdom. He would replace Chaos in his duties and responsibilities, toward his Kingdom but also toward the Universe. It was much to take in especially considering what happened between the two of them the night before, how he had held her until she would fall asleep and the way he had looked at her with such intensity in his green eyes. The same man who shared her bed was going to be crowned King of the Universe. She didn't know how to feel about this. Maybe she shouldn't feel anything at all.

"Where is he now?"

She didn't need to precise who she was talking about, Patroclus was smart enough to know what was happening between his Prince and the Praetor. He wasn't blind. He had seen the way he would glance at her with a glint in his eyes and the way he would protect her as if she was the most precious thing walking upon the Earth. He saw the way he would touch her, scared to hurt her and yet eager for more. He was treating her like he would do with a queen. And Patroclus hoped that one day, that's what she would become.

"By Chaos' side."

ℂ

He walked with a certain heaviness in his steps. His eyes couldn't focus on his surroundings, his feet guiding him to the royal chambers. His mind couldn't settle on one thing. It wasn't simply his King who was dying, it was his only father figure, his grandfather and the second most important member of his family for him. How could he just fade and leave everything behind him? Leave him? He wasn't a kid anymore and yet that's exactly how he felt every time he was beside the King. He had always took him as a model, always trying to look like him. And now he was dying.

He opened the doors and entered the wide room where a large bed was situated on the left. Chaos was lying on his back, as pale as a sheet and sweat gathered over his brow. He approached reluctantly. This was the man who had teach him everything. This was the man who showed him how truly powerful he was, who was here until he became the Prince he was today. He stood beside the bed, his eyes glassy and focused on the old man.

"Perseus." He whispered, his voice hoarse and broken. Even though he looked in pain and weak, he still managed to smile.

"Hey grandfather." He simply said back with a sweetness so unknown to him but so comforting for the old man. The Prince sat on the chair beside the bed, his hand resting on the older man's frail one. "How are you feeling?"

"Awful." He laughed a little but the sound came out stiff and choked. "I will fade soon, son. You know what you have to do now, don't you?"

"Yes, I do my Lord."

"Don't." He replied and coughed a little before meeting the Prince's green eyes again and the younger god could see determination and love in these black pits. "Before being your King, I am your family; your flesh and blood. You have always been a son to me, and you will always be. You understand me?"

"I do." And he couldn't help but hear how broken his voice sounded now.

"You will take my crown and throne and you will become a great King. I know it. I've always did. You were born for this, to rule and I never doubted you, not even when things went wrong for you. I still believe in you and the goodness in you."

The Prince looked up and tried to control his breathing, pushing back the tears violently and with hate. He hated being weak. But this was his grandfather, his only father. He had been here when the darkness changed him and turned him into a monster.

"I knew from the beginning who you would become. What you did in the past is nothing compared to all the good you'll do in the future. I believe in you, son."

"I'm no good, grandfather. I've never been and I never will. This is who I am and what I am. I'm not supposed to be good."

"That's where you're wrong, kid. You can always choose your destiny and if you'll do good or evil. It's your choice, and yours only."

"You don't have a single idea of what I did, grandfather."

"Oh, I do son. I do."

Perseus remembered all the blood and the darkness. The darkness enveloping him and controlling him. He remembered every single face, every single cry or plea when his sword pierced them. He remembered that time when he had killed a traitor's family in front of him just to teach him a lesson. He saw himself cutting his only lover's throat in bed because she had dared call him a monster. But that's what he was. Deep down, he knew it. It will always hunt him, the screams and begs. The darkness inside of him remembered it as if it happened the day before. There will always be this evil lurking inside of him, hiding somewhere in his heart, ready to jump out and show itself. It's a poison, a demon inside of him. But it's part of who he is.

"And I forgave you a long time ago. I always believed in redemption. And you will find it soon, son."

"There is no redemption for the things I've done."

He remembered that night he killed a mother's baby then her daughter aged of only 5 years old because his husband had deserted. He couldn't erase her screams from his mind, how she had fell on her knees and begged him to kill him too. And he had laughed.

"When I think about it, there's this part of me that want to do it again. I can't simply forget it and push it down."

"You can. You are powerful, Perseus. More powerful than this darkness inside of you." He inhaled with difficulty and continued, "you will find redemption in this Praetor's love. Cherish it and cherish her, for she will be the reason of your rise."

"How am I supposed to do this without you?" The Prince asked, ignoring Chaos's declaration.

"You have your mother and your general. They will help you until the end." He looked at his grandson's face, trying to remember every single feature of his face, how his cheekbones looked sharp and the violence in his lips. "Promise me one thing." He said weakly. "Promise me you will try to forgive yourself and move on."

Perseus looked up with surprise in his eyes but it faded away when his eyes took the old man's condition in. He was too pale and his eyelids were becoming heavy. He could feel his life force seeping away.

"I promise." He replied with difficulty as the King's eyes unfocused and his body relaxed.

A single tear fell from his green eyes. His only father was gone. He rested his forehead against the former King's already cold hand. And he let it go. The pain and rage inside of him. The grief and sorrow. The regret and guilt.

He knew he could never be the man he expected him to be. But he would try. He would make him proud and he would keep his promise.

Sobs shook his entire body and he wasn't ashamed anymore. The tears stroke down his cheeks and chin. He was weak only because he had been too strong for too long. How could a single man, god or not, could live with all this guilt? He couldn't sleep at night or close his eyes without hearing them. This was his punishment.

"I'm so sorry." He whispered against the man's skin.

He wasn't only saying sorry to him. But to every single person he had hurt. The child, babies and parents. The families he had destroyed and the dreams he had shattered. He felt his tears drying and the darkness coming slowly.

It started to pour inside his golden blood, dancing around his bones and igniting his nerves. It was coming and he welcomed it with pleasure. Because the only way to forget the pain was to inflict it. To give it instead of receiving it.

"My King."

He looked up and met his mother's black eyes. She was gorgeous with her red lips and golden crown neatly resting on top of her black hair. But the pain painted on her features made her look like a bad representation of the woman she really was.

"They are waiting for you."

She didn't sound like her either. There was too much respect and coldness in her voice, as if she was talking to a stranger. Because she wasn't addressing to her son anymore, but to her King. She could feel the difference in him, the power radiated by his body and the darkness in his eyes which turned black. She had seen this face before. A long time ago, when her son had turned into a bloodthirsty man. And he was standing right in front of her now. The violence in his eyes and features made her heart jump in her chest. This was the man she feared. This was the son she was proud of. She looked at him standing on his feet with grace and walk toward the doors then disappearing in the corridor. She left the room, giving a last look at the corpse on the bed.

"Gentlemen." He greeted and every single man stood up, their eyes fixed on their new king.

His voice was dark and cold, sending shivers down every person's spine. This was what was expected from a king. Being feared to not be conquered. Trust no one. Fear no one. The thirty men kneeled in front of their king, one knee on the floor and their fist against their heart. The King stood there, before them with absolutely no emotion showing on his handsome face.

"Us, members of the Council," started the men in unison, "will give our life to our King. Obey his orders and advise him until our last breath. We will give him our loyalty, wisdom and heart. We will guide him in war and peace." Then they stood, their backs straight and eyes looking forward. "Long may he reign!" Every person in the room shouted.

And then cheers erupted from every corner of the room. Soldiers started to scream their King's name, hitting the ground with their weapons. The Goddess smiled, watching her son becoming king.

A crown was placed on his head, with glinting rubies incrusted in the gold. It was the most gorgeous crown in the whole Kingdom.

"Sit, now." And they did, sitting around a huge wooden table. Silence fell over the room, every ear focused on the King's words. "Our time is difficult. War is knocking at our door and I have already gathered my army in New Rome, where the demigods are trained and prepared for the battle. But we will need every soldier and use every weapon to defeat Gaia in New York. I will take the most trained and most efficient soldiers with me and lead the battle in the West. I will fight against Gaia myself."

"No!" A loud voice roared and the King turned to face his mother, her eyes wide and fist clenched.

"I made my decision and there's no turning back." He watched her with challenge in his green eyes. "Do you dare questioning my orders?"

She wanted to snap at him, but he wasn't her boy anymore. He was the King. "No, my Lord."

"Good. Then everyone agrees?"

And everyone did.

ℂ

"Perseus!"

The King turned, stunned by the voice rising in the air. He faced a tall man with a black suit, black tie and black hair. He wasn't wearing the expression he used to show which was blank. Now he was furious. His brows were furrowed and his lips formed a tight line. Perseus had never seen him like this, no matter how few times he had faced him. The man walked toward him, anger in his steps and in his black eyes. His dark aura could have made everyone run away but he was the King now, and the man's power was nothing compared to his. But still, this man was his father.

"Erebus."

"How dare you!" He shouted while fisting the front of the King's shirt. "You fucking piece of shit!"

Guards ran toward their King, their weapons raised but were immediately stopped by a hand gesture from the King who simply smiled at his furious father. Oh, this was too good.

"I will kill you with my own hands. Do you hear me?" He yelled, his face centimeters away from his son's. "I don't care how I will do it or when, but I will!"

"Are you threatening me?" Asked the King with amusement and a little laugh in his voice. He was so enjoying this and it made the man even angrier.

"The throne was mine! I was supposed to reign when Chaos faded. It was mine and you took it away from me, you piece of garbage!"

"Oh, stop it, you're going to make me cry." The sarcasm was obvious in his tone and it made his father see red.

He didn't have the time to see it coming, but knuckles met cheekbones and the King stumbled back, surprised that his father hit him in front of his own guards and people. He looked up to see an elbow coming straight at his jaw. He spat the blood on the ground and finally met his father's eyes. About five guards were holding him and pointing their blades at him. But it was just him and his father. He remembered every single time he had hit him, humiliated him. And today was the day he will have a taste of his revenge. He focused on the darkness inside of him and the one inside of his father, connecting them. Both of their eyes were now only darkness and people staggered back, afraid of what was happening. And Perseus smiled with a devilish smirk.

He made the darkness boil inside his father's veins and blood, he made it turn into ashes and the man screamed at the top of his lungs. He made it burn slowly, so slowly. He made it fade away. People started to scream around them, but the King didn't care. The only thing that mattered was how his darkness was crushing his father's. It was like breaking every bone of his body and setting them on fire. That's what it felt like to lose his darkness for the father. But it felt so good for the son. It was liberating, freeing to see his father in pain and kneeling in front of him, begging to stop it. He felt the power swim inside of him, raw and beautiful. He truly felt like a king. And it was magic.

But it all stopped when he felt his mother's hand on his shoulder, her voice echoing in his mind, telling him to stop and calm down. So he let his father go and watched him crumble on the floor, exhausted. He looked at the horrified expression on the faces around him and he turned again, ready to keep going and forget what just happened. He had let his darkness take control, like in old times. And it had felt so good. It was like a drug, a voice in his head begging him to set it free. But once it was, it was like unleashing Hell.

And he wasn't sure if he was capable to let the door closed.

ℂ

"So wait, let me get this straight." Reyna started, her eyes fixed on Nico in front of her. "You knew about the Greek demigods but you never told us? Why?"

"If I told you about them, and vice versa, there would have been conflicts, even a war. I mean Romans and Greeks aren't exactly what you could call old friends. And it wasn't my place to tell you."

"Okay. Okay, I understand. But now that we know about each other and that we're living together, there's no reason to fear a war right?"

"Well of course not. The war united the two camps."

"Okay, I just wanted to make sure that everything would be good between us."

"What now?" She frowned and tilted her hair on the side, showing him that she had no idea what he was talking about. "What do we do? We wait until Gaia comes around and attack us?"

"The Prince's army is training the demigods and preparing them. Until then, yes, we wait. We don't know where her army is staying and what they're planning. So we have no other choice than to wait and see what happens. And when something does, we will be ready."

He inhaled deeply, his eyes closing for a few seconds. "Do you think we can win this war?"

"Yes, I do. We have defeated Kronos before her and we will do everything we can to win again."

"Well, it's good to see someone is optimistic about it all."

"Aren't you Nico?"

"Fuck no." He laughed bitterly, shoving his hands in his jean's pocket. "I think we're beyond screwed, but I have to keep that to myself right? Not to discourage everyone else and stuff, but I don't think less of it. I don't think we stand a chance Reyna."

"Then we will prove you wrong kid." She smiled warmly at him, and he laughed a little at the nickname.

Reyna and Nico weren't the closest friends, but there was something different in him that made her want to know him. To know his personality and his thoughts. He was captivating just like the Prince was and she couldn't help but see a bit of him in Nico.

"We should go now." He nodded at her words and they both walked toward the amphitheater where a council was organized in order to prepare the war and the defense of the city.

They entered in silence, Nico finding an empty sit at the back and Reyna installing herself in the chair in front of everyone. She looked at them all, with their anxious and fearful expressions. Some of them have never been in a war and have no idea what they're supposed to do. Some have been in camp for only a few months and aren't even trained properly. Some are too young to fight. This wasn't an army that she had; it was just kids fighting for their lives and city. Maybe Nico was right after all, they were screwed.

"You okay?" Jason whispered in her ear from his sit beside her.

She nodded stiffly and met Nico's dark eyes. The kid was smart and knew what war meant. He had fought beside the Greek to defeat Kronos. He knew what it was to see your comrades fall on the battlefield. He knew what death was, being the Ghost King and son of Pluto. He knew it better than anyone else. He was strong and a good fighter. And Reyna knew he would be a good asset in this war.

She stood on her feet, silencing every demigod in the wide room. They all turned to look at her with apprehension and nervousness.

"Demigods, Romans and Greeks, you are gathered today to speak about war matters. As you all know, Gaia has already an army behind her and is ready to attack us any day now. But we also know that this war will be fought on two different fronts. She will attack Camp Half Blood in New York and Camp Jupiter. This can be an advantage for us. Her army can be big, but it will split in two and we will make sure to benefit from this."

"She's right." Stood Jason, "they may be a lot, but Gaia has to worry about two things and no matter how powerful she is, she can't be at two places at the same time. Moreover, they can have the advantage of number, but we have something they don't have." He marked a pause to captivate everyone's attention, "Intelligence."

"We know monsters are strong. But sometimes strength isn't enough. Sometimes wisdom overtake strength. And you will have to remember this when you will train. Always think about your next move and your opponent's, and most of all, don't let emotions corrupt your acts."

"We believe, Reyna and me, that this war can be won. But we can't do this without you. The world's fate is resting on our shoulders and I know it can be scary, but this is our duty. And we will make sure to fulfill it."

"But if she attacks Camp Half Blood, we will have to protect it too right? So we're splitting too." Observed a boy who stood from his chair, the sunrays swimming in his golden locks. "In the end, it doesn't change anything."

"The Greeks will defend their camp and the Romans theirs." Replied Jason, his blue eyes meeting the boy's ones. "So we're not exactly splitting since it's how it was supposed to be, Octavian."

"But there are fewer Greeks than Romans. How are we supposed to defeat Gaia with such small number of demigods? Shouldn't you help us?" Asked a girl with blond hair and grey eyes which seemed to hold the world's entire wisdom.

"Unfortunately no, we can't help you on this matter. We're already helping you train and we will give you weapons. But the Romans will want to defend their city first, and I won't take that away from them." Retorted Reyna.

"It's not enough! She will crash us like vulgar insects and when she will be done with us, she will come for you. Don't you think we should have more demigods than you? Our battle will be more important!"

"This is stupid!" Shouted Octavian, his blue eyes sending daggers at the blonde girl. "We have to protect our city and you protect yours. End of the story. We won't lose New Rome to save your stupid camp!"

"This is not about our camp! This is about winning the war!"

Voices started to raise in the room and Reyna closed her eyes, feeling frustration and anger build in her chest. "Enough!" She yelled as loud as she could, and everyone stared at her with surprise. "Everyone sit down and calm down."

"We won't solve the problem by screaming at each other. We need to find a solution to defeat Gaia." Declared Jason who was massaging his temples.

"I can do that for you."

Her black eyes fell on the Prince. He stood there, in a beautiful uniform, with pride and beauty. His uniform was of a dark blue, the refinements of a beautiful red with golden buttons and many medals neatly fasten on his chest. Golden half-moons pins were placed on the collar and on the upper sleeves were embroidered golden wings. He looked like an officer with his back straight and his blank expression. He simply looked more handsome than she ever saw him before. But the most beautiful thing was certainly the crown on his head. He looked like a King.

"And how would you do that?" Questioned a voice, at the same moment six guards entered, wearing the same uniform as the Prince but with less medals and less beauty. They stood behind the Prince as he walked down the stairs, his eyes focused on Reyna.

He stopped beside her, his hand slightly brushing hers. "I believe I have the authority and the power to do so, demigod." The guards positioned themselves at his sides, their weapons drawn. "As the King of Chaos's Kingdom and of an army of four thousands of men, I truly believe I stand a chance."


	11. Chapter 10

**On the previous chapter :**

_""I believe I have the authority and the power to do so, demigod." The guards positioned themselves at his sides, their weapons drawn. "As the King of Chaos's Kingdom and of an army of four thousands of men, I truly believe I stand a chance.""_

* * *

**Chapter 10.**

Feelings of Darkness

ℂ

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"_The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart_"  
― Helen Keller.

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"What now?" She asked him with wide eyes.

Things were different now. She wasn't facing the same boy as she had been hours ago, the one who had looked so bored during the council and who had kissed her in the cave. He was a king. He was the King. And she had no clue how to act around him, how to talk to him, what name to call him. Things were definitely different.

He approached her slowly as if afraid to frighten her, his movements calculated and his expression guarded. He was still wearing this uniform and his crown and he could have looked like another teenager in a costume party if not for the powerful aura he was radiating.

She was scared of him. Of the way he would look at you as if he was planning to kill you this same night. Of his power and violence. Of his darkness that seemed to threaten her. She had never been so scared of him.

But something changed in his expression as if he had realized how scared she was. Of him. He took a last step quickly and in the next second, his hand was around her neck and her back against her cabin's wall. And his lips were on hers. His kiss was needy and hungry, desperate to make the fear fade, to replace it with hunger and love. She stopped thinking, closed her eyes and let her body answer. Her hands found themselves in his hair and she heard his crown fall on the floor but he didn't seem to care as he pressed his hips against hers. His lips traced down a path toward her neck, kissing her chin, throat and jaw. She was panting now, her body screaming for more and her stomach turning and turning restlessly. She felt this unknown heat in her abdomen and his lips against her skin didn't make it better.

"Shit." She muttered under her breath, as his hands went to the back of her thighs and lifted her legs up until she locked them around his waist.

Her hands unbuttoned his collar then vest, throwing it on the floor and she groaned at how many layers of clothes he actually had on. She wanted to feel his skin against hers. She wanted him so much closer than that.

His hands took off her cloak and her white shirt. He touched her, discovering her body and skin. She moaned a little against his ear when his lips kissed her chest. Her gests became hungrier and more violent as she unbuttoned as fast as she could his shirt and threw it aside. She circled his neck with her arm, pressing his bare chest against hers and the contact made the both of them groan. She could feel him. Entirely. The way his skin would caress hers set her on fire, making her sensitive and aware of every little move. His fingers touched her arms and sides, until they buried themselves in her hair. But it wasn't enough. Not for her and not for him.

"Reyna?" They immediately stopped at the sound of the man's voice, and they both turned around to see Jason's form in the doorway. "Oh fuck, I – I mean, shit, uh sorry!" And he ran away, as if what he had seen was the last thing he wanted to see. He looked so embarrassed, which made the king chuckle a little.

She broke away from him, her feet touching the ground again and his body withdrawing. She actually felt embarrassed too, a little awkward that Jason had caught them in such a heated and intimate moment. But Perseus seemed more amused than anything, a little smirk playing on his bruised lips. When he turned and met her eyes again, she could still see the lust in them and the need, but he knew the moment was over.

"Well, that was strange."

"Ugh." She simply replied, hitting the back of her head against the wall.

She could still feel the heat in her body, running through her veins and hustling all these thoughts inside her skull. She couldn't think straight and even less breathe normally. She had completely lost her control and she looked at him, because he was the reason why. And she felt something ping inside of her as his eyes met hers. She felt as if they were boring into her, into her soul. And then she felt it.

"What are you doing?" She whispered with difficulty, and a moan escaped her lips.

"Give you a glimpse of what I could do to you." He replied while pressing against her. But it was the only touch, his hands and forehead were pressed against the wall.

But she could feel his touch everywhere, his warmth and she jumped a little at the pleasure rising in her. She had no idea what was going on, but all she could focus on was the feeling coursing her veins. She had never felt so good.

"Oh Gods."

He was messing with her darkness. And it was so good. It made her want to scream, to sink her nails into his skin and make him _touch_ her. He stepped back, and she whimpered at the loss of his warmth and closeness. But she could still feel it; the fire building in her stomach and the want controlling her entirely.

Then it stopped. She felt hollow, lost and confused.

"What did you do?"

He shrugged and offered her a little smile while he put his shirt back on. "Enjoying my new abilities."

"Oh, you think that's funny?" She stepped dangerously closer to him, her eyes narrowed.

"A little, yes."

"Teach me." She ordered him with a harsh tone that told him no negotiation was possible.

He looked up, startled. "Teach you what?"

"How to use my abilities."

He put his vest back on, not bothering to button it. "It didn't work so well last time, remember?"

"But I'm ready now."

"Fine. If you think you're ready for it, then meet me tonight after diner in my tent." He smiled one last time at her before exiting her cabin.

She watched him disappearing, his steps so confident and his head high. And she realized he had forgotten his crown. "Idiot." She whispered to herself before taking it from the floor and holding it in her hands. It truly was beautiful, the sunrays reflecting themselves on the gold and gemstones.

She sighed, remembering Jason's appearance. If she could, she would cut him in pieces for interrupting the moment she was sharing with Perseus, but she pushed the idea away and storm out of the room, heading toward the tents raised by the King's army. She found his easily as it was bigger than all the others and pitch black with flags floating above it. Black flags with golden moons. She walked shyly throughout the passages and between the tents, trying to ignore the soldiers' gazes and remarks as she passed by until she found herself in front of the opening of his tent. She inhaled and entered, immediately regretting it.

"Oh Gods, I'm sorry!" She shouted as she covered her eyes with her hands.

He had his back on her, shirtless and when he heard her coming in, he put his trousers back on as fast as he could.

"Geez Reyna!" He laughed at her expression, "I could have been naked."

"You almost were!"

"Yeah well, I wasn't and you can look now."

Her hands were back at her sides, and she admired his bare chest, the day's light meeting his pale skin. She could see every scar and the tattoos covering his chest. She didn't have the opportunity to truly see him when he was in her cabin because of the darkness and now she could see how beautiful he was.

"What do you want?"

"You forgot something." She announced, holding the crown in her hand with a little smirk.

"Idiot." He whispered to himself and she laughed, remembering how she exactly said the same thing to herself a few minutes ago. He took it back and put it down on his head with a grateful smile. She was about to leave with a roll of her eyes but he spoke again, "since you're here… Can you help me with something?" And she was surprised to hear a little apprehension in his tone.

"Sure, what is it?"

She laughed openly when he showed her a tie in his hand, with a little grimace. He really looked like a typical teenager who had no idea how to fasten his tie. But the fact that she was laughing at him made him narrow his eyes and he looked more dangerous than ever, as much as one could when he was wearing an open shirt and pant suits. She covered her mouth with her hand, trying to muffle her laugh.

"Laugh again and I will strangle you in your sleep, love."

"Okay, okay." She raised her hands in surrender and tried to erase the playful smile on her lips. She stepped closer, grabbing the tie and putting it around his neck while he buttoned his black shirt. "King and not even able to fasten his tie." She mumbled under her breath, just loud enough so he could hear her.

"What was that?"

"Huh? Nothing. You're probably hearing voices, my Lord."

"Don't push it."

"Oh I wouldn't dare." She replied with sarcasm and genuinely smiled at him. "There!" She finally said after finishing with his tie.

She looked up and met his green eyes, too intense for her heart that started to beat faster than ever. For a second, she actually forgot who she was and who he was. She wasn't a Praetor in a state of war anymore, there were no Gods, no battles, only him. He wasn't a God getting ready for war, nor a soldier and it was only his green eyes and his smirk. Nothing else.

For another second, the tent disappeared and the hundreds of soldiers outside stopped talking, as if the world had decided to freeze, too busy watching the two of them.

But she blinked and in front of her was standing a king, a crown on his head and the world on his shoulders. The soldiers were still screaming and laughing outside, and war was still threatening them. She felt a ping of disappointment fill her, even though she knew it was just a little and stupid dream. She knew she couldn't escape reality, no matter how bad she wanted to. She was here, in the middle of a war, and she was walking on broken glass. She suddenly remembered who she was, and who he was. And they were two different people. Too different for her.

"I should go."

He didn't answer and watched her leave the tent with her head low. And he asked himself how he could be the King when a mere woman had such an impact on him.

She made her way back to the city where citizens mixed with soldiers and demigods. But no matter how different they were, they all had the same goal: win the war. This was in everyone's mind and dreams. Fight for their city, fight for their lives, fight for their families. And it was even more in Reyna's thoughts. She walked among the men who had become students, the ones who were too old to fight, the ones too young to hold a weapon. And she felt safe. She felt at home. It was strange, really, to feel this way when everything was so messed up, and yet she found safety when others found misery.

She found Jason in his cabin, lying on his bed, his eyes focused on the ceiling above him. She had no idea what to say to him, if she had to apologize then thought that she wasn't the one supposed to be sorry. And in the end, Jason was her friend and he had been for a very long time, he could understand. He immediately sat up when he heard her coming in, his blue eyes seeming almost black in the darkness of his cabin and scanning her from head to toe as if he couldn't be sure if it really was her.

"I'm really sorry about earlier." He suddenly declared, regret openly painted on his face. But Reyna also saw the unease in his eyes, the way he would avoid her gaze and look anywhere but where she was standing. "I didn't know you and… You know…" She choked a laugh, not trying to embarrass him any further, but it was quite comical to see him like this, a son of Jupiter blushing and stuttering.

"Well, no one does. And I would like to keep it this way."

"Oh of course! I wasn't going to talk about it to anyone anyway, so yeah. I will just forget about it and you know, just, well… Leave you alone." He was making it hard for her to not laugh at him. Just the way he sounded, almost childish and hoping, was too much for her.

"Anyways. You wanted something?"

"Yes." He stood up, smoothing his shirt and putting his red cloak back on. "We're going to attack a base hold by monsters not far from the camp. They're no threat to the city but we don't want to take any risk." She was amazed by the way his serious tone was back, only a few seconds after being blushing and awkward. "They're about fifty, so I'll take about the same amount of demigods and we'll be back soon."

"I want to come."

She was surprised by the words that left her own mouth and by how quickly they did so. Jason looked at her with narrow eyes, perhaps trying to understand her motives and reasons for coming. But Reyna knew. It took her a second to understand. She simply wanted to fight. She was tired of staying here, doing nothing while the army of monsters was getting closer each day and stronger too. She had to do something, to fight and kill. Her blood and brain were asking for it, along with her darkness. She wasn't made to stay still, she needed to do something.

"You know there has to be a Praetor in New Rome, we can't leave both."

"The King will stay." But she regretted the words as soon as they escaped her lips. It was a dumb answer and she knew it.

"So you trust him enough to give him the responsibility of the entire camp? Really, Reyna? Weren't you saying "the city's safety first" a few days ago? _This_, this is not protecting the city. This is taking stupid risks." He inhaled deeply, anger rushing in his veins. "How can you be sure he's not working with Gaia and wouldn't take the first chance he got to blow us all?"

"I just do."

"It's not enough and you know it." And he was right. "I will go."

"I'm sorry. I know that you're correct."

"Yes well, you've been quite under stress for the last few days so I understand that you want to do something and fight to keep your mind off of all the things that happened. But it's not the right way to do it." He smiled warmly at her and stepped closer, resting his hand on her shoulder. "You can always train, help the others, and you'll actually be doing _something_."

"I know." She whispered almost reluctantly, "thank you Jason."

"Anytime, Rey." And with that, she turned around to leave the cabin but was stopped by a hand on her wrist. "And be careful with that King of yours. I know how power can be alluring, but stay on your guards okay?"

"Sure thing."

And she left, a small frown on her face. Power _was_ appealing but it wasn't the reason why she was so close to the king. It was something different, something she couldn't quite put a word on. She simply needed him. Needed him to be close and look into her eyes. Needed to hear his voice and see his smile. And she couldn't name this feeling. But it was frightening, even more than his threats or his hard gazes. It was scarier than any monster she had fought in her short life. It was scary because she didn't know it all. She knew monsters, how to kill them and how to deal with them. But when she was close to him, she couldn't control herself anymore, as if her body was acting on his own and that's what scared her the most.

She was attracted to darkness but scared of what it could make her do.

ℂ

"Sir, someone would like to talk to you."

"Let them come in."

The King turned to face a small and skinny boy, his black hair almost like his own, falling into his dark eyes. He immediately recognized him as the Ghost King. He had heard a lot about Hades's son, how powerful he was and the potential he owned. But the King only believed what he saw. And he had yet to see what this boy was capable of.

"Your Grace." He bowed deeply, and offered a shy smile at the crowned teenager before him, his green eyes so intense and intimidating. They hold so much power that it made the demigod whimper.

"Nico di Angelo. What gives me the honor?"

But the boy was surprised to hear warmth in his words. His thought about the now former Prince were dark and he knew deep down that he was scared of this guy. But at this moment, he wasn't giving him any reason to fear him. He had a little smile on his pale lips, but it wasn't a smirk or a way to mock the boy. It was almost friendly. The unease that inhabited him since he walked in the tent, left him so suddenly that he shivered slightly.

"I would like to talk to you about the war, Sir."

"Of course. Sit." He gestured to the chair in front of him, made of gold and leather.

Nico wasn't used to kindness, and the one the King was showing was more surprising than anything else. He hadn't expected this at all.

"I was thinking that maybe we could work together." He announced while sitting on the comfortable chair. The King raised an eyebrow at him but made no comment. "I could help you during the New York battle. You know what I can do and I know what _you_ can do. Together we have a better chance to win."

"What makes you think so?" Asked the King, slightly curious.

"I can raise the dead and control them. I can control the shadows, though you're the best at this. I could raise an army of dead that will fight the monsters while you're battling Gaia."

"I already have an army, Ghost King."

"Not of dead men. They're almost impossible to kill, they could be a very good asset for the battle."

"Fine. Let's say I'm interested," he started, shifting on his seat, "what makes you think you're worthy enough to fight by my side?" His tone was dangerous now, and Nico almost regretted coming.

"I – I don't think I am, Sir." He replied hesitantly, "but I know that I'll do my best to be. I know you've heard of me before and you're aware of what I did in the past. Aren't you going to give me a single chance to prove you how worthy I am, your Grace?"

"Yes. I've heard of you before Ghost King. And I have to say, I was quite impressed by you, Hades's spawn." He smiled again, with that friendly smile that made Nico's heart beat so much faster. "Show me what you got and I'll consider your offer."

Nico sighed in relief, the stress and apprehension leaving him so quickly that for a second he felt hollow. But he looked into the King's eyes and couldn't help but feel the need to make him proud. He was going to give everything he had to be a part of the King's army and fight beside him. He focused, closing his eyes, on the dead under the earth. He imagined them raising and actually moving, obeying his orders. Soon he heard groans and little _clicks _accompanied by the sound of bones against bones. When Nico opened his eyes again, he met the King's wide smile.

About twenty dead soldiers were standing on their feet, all bones and violence, weapons in hands and ready to obey their Ghost King's orders. He told them mentally to stand straight and he watched them doing it. The King rose from his chair and smiled at the boy.

"They're beautiful."

It was strange to hear skeletons being called beautiful, but Nico had to agree. They were well built, tall and once muscled. The King knew they had been great soldiers when they were alive, and admired them with curiosity in his green eyes. They could have been one of his soldiers.

"Okay, kid." He turned to the boy still sitting on the chair, his chin resting on his hand.

"Okay?"

"Yes. I was going to give you that chance the moment you stepped into that tent, but I wanted to see what you were made of. And now that I've seen it, I decided I like it." He shrugged with a small smile.

And Nico smiled back, his heart swelling with pride. His father had always been distant with him, never praising him or even assuming his father figure. And it felt good to hear those words for the first time, to feel like someone accepted him.

"Nico." The King called after him when he stood and started to walk out. "I know what it's like to feel like you don't belong anywhere. So if you need a place to call home, you know where to find me."

He really hadn't expected this.

But now they were together in this. And they would fight side by side. In a death or life.


	12. Chapter 11

Small chapter but I really wanted to write something focused on Reyna and Percy. So here it is, a little fluffy chapter. Hope you enjoy.

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**Chapter 11.**

Couple of Darkness

ℂ

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_"We have been naive enough to believe that we were invincible; that we could run blind through the hairpin turns of life at treacherous speeds and never crash." _  
― Jodi Picoult.

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Reyna hadn't seen how luxurious the tent was the first time since she was more focused on the King. But now she could see it. With the black tissue which made the walls and almost looked like silk and the golden throne at the back of the room. It was bigger than her own cabin, with a long table installed at her left and another smaller one at her right where weapons were sprawled. Bows, arrows, swords, axes. She had seen some in the armory in the castle and they shined as bright as they were in the beautiful room. Rugs were resting on the floor, with gold and silver mixing and drawing moons, wings and stars. It really was beautiful.

She waited for the King but he wasn't in the tent yet, so she ventured toward the throne which seemed to glow like a fire in the darkness of night. She let her fingers brush the diamonds and rubies, shining with white and red so beautiful that her eyes narrowed from the light they created. The gold was like silk under her fingertips, smooth and calming. She thought about her own throne in the Praetor room, made of leather and wood. It was pathetic beside this one that inspired wealth and power at the first sight.

She felt fingers brushing against the skin of her neck, moving her dark hair away and then lips were gently pressed against the back of her neck, the warmth relaxing her entire body and sending a wave of pleasure through her veins. She let herself go, transported by the warmth of the body behind her and the strength in its muscles. Her back encountered a chest that she was already learning to know and a hand slipped around her neck and grabbed it lightly as if trying to choke her. There was a certain power in that gesture, as if he was trying to possess her entirely, to show her he owns her. That she's his. He kisses her neck, letting his tongue graze the skin and she closes her eyes from lustiness. His warm breath is caressing her sensitive skin and she wants to turn around and kiss him fully, but his strong arms are holding her hips now and she can't move.

"You know," his voice was so close to her ear and dangerous that it sends shiver down her spine, "there are two thrones like this one in my palace."

She stiffened at his announcement, her eyes opening quickly and she turned sharply, breaking his hold. She met his green eyes and was surprised to see how his hair had gotten longer, almost falling into his eyes. She liked it. She slapped herself mentally for maundering and took a hold of herself, no matter how pretty he was looking at the moment.

"What do you mean?" She asked with curiosity and apprehension in her voice.

But he didn't answer, simply smiled sweetly at her and kissed her cheek. He let his lips wander along her jaw, chin then throat. She didn't withdrew or tried to push him away. She loves it too much. And he knows it.

"Come on."

She had almost forgotten the purpose of her presence in his tent, but when he took her hand in his and started to walk toward the left, she remembered. She saw how the black tissue was split in two there, how he stepped inside another room. This one was smaller, more intimate and even more beautiful. A bed, large enough to nestle three persons, was drawn before her with black sheets and black pillows. A desk of the same color was at her right side, papers covering it along with a golden chandelier where candles were burning down, sending a warm light around the room. But the most surprising and beautiful thing in the room was certainly the huge wolf sleeping on the carpet beside the bed. It didn't move nor opened its eyes when they both entered the bedroom and yet Reyna knew it was graceful and elegant, just by the way the light was swimming in its black fur. The King whistled and the animal was suddenly standing on its legs, golden eyes watching the both of them and the next second, it was walking toward the exit. Reyna saw it lying down on the floor in front of the room, guarding it with a dangerous look in its eyes that reminded her of the sun, before the tissue came back in place and covered the scene.

The King sat on the bed, setting his crown down on the bedside table, taking off his black cloak and loosening his tie. He looked like a perfect model, disheveled and tired. Reyna smiled before sitting beside him, her hand cupping his jaw in order to turn his head toward her and kissed his lips slightly and lovingly. The sweetness in the kiss surprised him, him who wasn't used to such a demonstration of feelings coming from the girl.

"We need to work, Reyna." He whispered against her lips, his eyes fixed on them and betraying his want and need.

She also felt the tiredness in his body, the way his eyelids seemed too heavy for him and how his muscles seemed to refuse moving. It felt as if his body was too much for him to handle.

"You're right, sorry." She withdrew reluctantly, her lips already missing his.

"Do not _ever_ apologize if you're not sorry for something you did." He smiled, a knowing smile that made her blush a little.

"Yes Sir." She replied with a hint of humor in her tone.

She watched him close his eyes and fall on the bed, his palms pressed against his closed eyelids. For a second, she admired him, his flat stomach and the muscles in his arms. But there was nothing scaring about him anymore. She snuggled close to him, intertwining her leg between his.

"You okay?"

"Yeah."

He turned to look at her and smiled. He closed the space between them, his lips brushing against hers but never really touching, only teasing. But Reyna wasn't up for this kind of game. Not tonight. So she closed the gap and kissed him fully, her tongue caressing his lower lip before digging her teeth in it which made him groan. Soon enough, her tongue was dancing with his and she was lost. Lost in his scent, in the taste of his lips and tongue, in his skin touching hers. Lost in him. He cupped her cheek to bring her even closer. He wanted her so much closer than that, until there were no boundaries between the two of them. Until they ignored where he was ending and where she was beginning. He wanted to hold her strongly enough to make her scream and he wanted to sink his teeth in her flesh to mark her as his. His breathing was faster and he was almost panting now, his body craving for her, screaming for release and pleasure.

"We really need to work." He breathed against her parted lips, but the words left his mouth as a reminder, not an order. He wasn't even convinced by his own tone but Reyna obeyed nonetheless.

She sat up, crossing her legs, her eyes still focused on the King lying on his back before her. She wanted nothing more than to dive into those black sheets with him and cuddle but she remembered why she was here and his order.

"What do I have to do?"

"Close your eyes." He replied with a smooth voice, and she did then felt him shift in front her, sign that he was sitting too now. "Now focus."

She shut down her thoughts, her mind only focused on the darkness inside of her and her purpose. And she felt it swimming in her blood, rushing toward her heart and muscles, sending a wave of excitement and power toward every fiber of her body and brain. She felt it everywhere, down to her toes and up in her skull. It was a part of her. It was beating with her heart and breathing with her. She welcomed it and called it until she felt a fire starting in her lungs, higher and higher at each second that passed, until it was burning her insides and warming her entire body. She called it, asked for more than this simple warmth. She wanted to feel powerful. She wanted to feel invincible.

It's only when she felt her hands burning that she opened her eyes. Flames of pure darkness were rising from her palms, beautiful and frightening. She ordered them to rise even higher, which they did. She watched them growing and expending all around her and Perseus who was smiling at her. It was an encouraging and happy smile, she could see how pride he was from the way his eyes were shining.

It was easier now. The darkness wasn't scaring her anymore, she felt simply comfortable with it and liked how it made her powerful.

She made it swirl around her, caressing her tan skin, her fingertips brushing it as if she was hypnotized by the way it was moving, crawling and spinning. And she saw Perseus doing the same, letting his fingers meet the darkness. Her darkness but also his. It was now surrounding the both of them, and the King met her eyes, green and blue focused on black. She didn't know it but the white of her eyes had been swallowed by darkness, leaving only black. And he loved it. He loved how scary she looked at the moment, how threatening she was. It made his gust twist and knot. His fingers were like beings on their own, ordering him to move forward and touch her. His whole body was asking for her. So he obeyed.

His hands grabbed her head and his lips met hers in a violent crash, teeth percussing against teeth and tongues starting a heated dance. It was too much for him to see her in this state, glowing with power. She didn't pushed him away, still dazed by the darkness filling her. And she loved how rough he was pulling at her hair and moving his lips against hers. Her moans encouraged him even more, making his body go crazy, his touch and gestures rougher and more violent. And she didn't say a word or complained because he wasn't touching her as if she was weak or fragile. She felt powerful thanks to him and thanks to his darkness.

She owed him everything.

"Do it now." His voice was hoarse and filled with lust.

The darkness exploded around them in a single powerful blow and they found themselves in the dark, completely surrounded by it, breathing it and touching it. And it felt so good to know she was doing it and controlling it. It felt so good to sense the power roaring in her veins and making her heart beating faster. It was a beautiful feeling, more beautiful than anything she has ever known before.

It was as if the world was hers and its people was kneeling at her feet. It was as if wings were growing on her back and she was flying and dancing with the wind. She was indestructible and exhaled power. She knew now what it felt like to be the King, to concentrate so much power and to perfectly know how to use it. And she wanted to feel like this for the rest of her life.

"Take it back."

And the darkness slowly faded from the room, letting a disheveled Perseus before her, a wide smile painted on his face, showing perfect and white teeth. He took her breath away like this. He made her heart stop and butterflies appear in her stomach. He was the reason why her legs felt like jelly and her lungs burnt.

He was the reason why she felt alive.


	13. Chapter 12

Tadam! Aren't you happy that I update so much? Well, I am. I have so much inspiration, it's kinda cool. But anyway, enjoy this new chapter!

**On the previous chapter :**

_"And the darkness slowly faded from the room, letting a disheveled Perseus before her, a wide smile painted on his face, showing perfect and white teeth. He took her breath away like this. He made her heart stop and butterflies appear in her stomach. He was the reason why her legs felt like jelly and her lungs burnt._

_He was the reason why she felt alive."_

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**Chapter 12.**

Heart of Darkness

ℂ

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"_Have you ever been in love? Horrible isn't it? It makes you so vulnerable. It opens your chest and it opens up your heart and it means that someone can get inside you and mess you up." _  
― Neil Gaiman.

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Reyna woke up to the sound of metal against metal and heavy breathings. But the thing that really woke her up was the feel of silk caressing her skin, the luxury of it all that seemed too strange to be natural. She was used to cotton, not silk. She slowly opened her eyes, surprised to not be blinded by the sun's light. Everything around her was simply dark. The sheets she was tangled in, the pillows her head was resting on and most importantly the tissue of the tent's walls. She remembered where she was. Perseus's bedroom. She could smell his perfume in the sheets, how fruity and comforting it was. She could feel their warmth beside her, sign that someone had been sleeping next to her but was gone by the time she woke up.

A lazy smile appeared on her face as she remembered the previous night's events. How he had kissed her, hard and feverish kisses whose ghost seemed to linger on her lips. How he had held her with his strong arms around her waist until she fell asleep late in the night. She had been exhausted because of her efforts during the training, and yet she had fought against sleep to stay with him, to hear his voice whispering against her ear and sending shivers down her spine. If every night could be like this, she decided it would be her favorite moment of the day.

But her daydream state was stopped by the sound of groans and a yelp of pain. She rushed on her feet, ignoring how fast her head was spinning, and ran out of the tent, her eyes scanning her surroundings and widening at the sight in front of her. The world froze at the scene drawn before her sleepy eyes.

Perseus was surrounded by ten dark soldiers, weapons in hands and postures signaling that they were ready to jump on him at any second. The King was in the middle of the circle, his crown glinting in the sun. But when he turned to face her, there was a smile on his lips. His eyes were focused on the soldiers around him, unaware of Reyna watching every single of his moves. Then all at once, they attacked.

The King parried a sword, pushing back its owner a few feet with only the power of his arms, then hit the hilt of his sword in a soldier's nose who was behind him, before punching another in the jaw and immediately moving on a fourth, kicking him in the guts and driving the handle of his weapon onto his skull. He fell on the dirt, his body limp. The King turned with such speed that it only looked like a blur, and stopped a blade with his from piercing his back. His leg hooked the soldier's ankle and the next second, he was face down on the ground. But it took him too long to take this soldier down. Five were up and well. One grabbed his arm, yanking him back and forcing the King to face him. But the King was too fast, his fist already in the air before the soldier could blink. It hit him right on the nose, breaking it. The soldier screamed in pain before stepping back out of the circle. Three down. Seven to go.

A soldier locked his arms around the King's chest, holding him while another sent his fists toward the vulnerable King's stomach. He doubled over in pain, and after three blows, managed to send his foot down to the soldier's, crushing it and forcing him to break his hold. The King's elbow connected with the same soldier's temple, sending him to the ground in a loud _thud_. Then he grabbed the other soldier who had been hitting him a second earlier by the neck and squeezed it, kicking a man that was trying to approach him on his side. The two followed the previous one on the ground and stayed there. Six down. Four to go.

The soldiers were nervous now, their eyes wide and sweat gathered on their brow and making their hair shine in the early sunrays. A wave of darkness pushed two soldiers to the ground and pinned them there while the King punched a young one in the jaw then on his cheekbone eventually breaking it, before sending his foot to his manly parts. He chuckled a little when the boy screamed like a little girl, then moved to the last one still standing. He was more than nervous, his grip on his sword shaking and his movements insecure. He didn't know what was going to happen to him, but he was expecting it. He was waiting for the pain. So the King didn't torture him any further and took action. In a blur, the soldier was yelling on the dust, clutching his broken knee.

That's when knuckles connected with the King's nose and blood spattered from it, landing on the dust at his feet. Then the same fist came down again, hitting the injured teenager in the jaw. Reyna's breathing stopped when the King fell on his knees. A foot kicked his temple, sending him to the ground. He stayed there, still, for a few seconds before a cloud of darkness formed all around him before turning around the man who had hit him. It swirled around him and all Reyna heard was his muffled screams of terror and pain. When she blinked, the King was standing, his face bloody and eyes murderous. When the darkness faded away, Reyna's eyes found the limp body of a soldier, still breathing but obviously unconscious.

"Perseus." The name left her lips as a whisper but he heard it nonetheless, and he turned toward her still silhouette.

He wiped the blood pouring out of his nose, and stared down at the broken bodies at his feet. He didn't look proud nor triumphing. He had won but he had hurt his own men. He had to. He walked toward her, wincing a little at when his ankle connected with the floor, but he wiped the obvious expression of pain on his face and smiled at her. She let her fingertips wander the bruise already forming on his jaw then his bloody and split lower lip, his broken nose and eyebrow. He didn't flinch a single second.

"Sorry to wake you up."

She stared at him, her eyes boring into his. He was apologizing when he was clearly in pain and hurt. Her heart swelled for him. For his kindness. She closed the gap between the two of them and kissed him hard, tasting his blood on her tongue and surprisingly, it didn't disgusted her as she was expecting. It was strangely comforting. Because it made him human.

"Reyna." He warned her, his hand grabbing her shoulder and making her step back. "I have to help my brothers." But she knew kissing her was hurting him because of his bruised lip and jaw. And it might also become difficult for him to stop.

She watched him healing his soldiers, resting a hand on their forehead before closing his eyes to focus. When they all staggered to their feet, they congratulated their Kings and some apologizing for how rough they had been. The King laughed at that and patted their back gently. She saw in those gestures and smiles that he was fond of his soldiers. They were a family to him, one that he could never find himself hurting. And it was a beautiful sight to see such a dark hearted man loving such ambitious men.

Later that same day, the King woke up to the sound of a familiar voice calling for him. He looked up from his bed to find Nico standing at the foot of it, his eyes resting on the sleepy King before him. When Perseus saw the boy, his head fell back on the pillow and his eyes closed again.

"What is it?" He asked in a sleepy and annoyed voice that made the boy smiled.

"What happened to your face?"

"Training. You should try, Ghost King."

"I'll consider your offer." He laughed and gently hit the King's ankle with his palm. "Come on, get up."

"What do you want?" The King groaned while digging his face in the pillow, his voice now full of annoyance.

"We need to work together, remember? And that doesn't imply sleeping together if I remember well."

At that, Perseus threw his pillow at Nico's face who dodged it while laughing openly at the King's childish manners; after all he looked like a typical nineteen year old teenager.

"Fuck off, I'm sleeping!"

"No you're not. Not anymore." And the pride was obvious in the Ghost King's voice, accompanied by amusement. "Get up or I'll do it by force." Perseus turned and rose an eyebrow at the threat, in challenge. "Don't tempt me." The King smiled and sat up.

"I'm not doing it because you want me to. I despise you, little one."

"Sure you do."

It was strange how close they got in only two days. They had spent hours talking about war or not, and a strange comfort had installed itself between the two kings, maybe because after all they were the same. They knew hurt and power, anger and sorrow. And they perfectly knew how to hide all those feelings, and they became champions at that. They were bad at core, evil and darkness lurking in their bodies. The shadows and darkness were their home. They were brothers and the darkness was their mother.

"So…" Started Nico, his eyes focused on the ground since the King was getting dressed. "Was Reyna here last night?" He could feel him freeze and continued quickly, "we looked for her but found her nowhere. But then Jason told me about… You and her so..."

"Indeed she was."

"Oh." There goes the witty answer. "Okay."

"What? Does it bother you to know she's hooking up with a handsome dude like me?"

Nico winced at the words, trying to push away the disturbing images forming in his mind. "She's my friend for Zeus's sake. It's really unsettling."

"I'm kidding, Nico. Plus we haven't done anything yet."

"_Yet_." He shivered and tried to think about something else, the Underworld, the Field of Asphodel and Punishment. "Do you like her?" He asked more seriously now.

"Excuse me?"

"I said–" He started to answer but the King interrupted him.

"No, I heard what you said. But why are you asking me this?"

"Do you?"

_Yes_._ Yes,_ he wanted to scream. But all those centuries had taught him to be careful with feelings and especially love. He had been in love only once and it was a mistake he had almost paid with his life. But Reyna was different. He loved the way she would throw her head back when she laughed or the way she would flip her hair away in annoyance. He loved the sound of her laugh and the smile she wore when she was looking at him. She loved her voice and her skin.

But life taught him to be careful, so he was. There was no denying in her beauty, physical or mental, but beauty was only a concept to him, nothing concrete. It could make a man go crazy and forget his family, his friends or where he comes from. He remembered Helen's beauty that issued the Trojan War. Beauty was definitely a danger for men. And he knew better than to succumb to it.

But Reyna was beautiful. In every aspect of the term. And yes, _yes_ he liked her.

But Perseus had always seen love as a weakness, the wanting, the chasing and finally the pain. It made you vulnerable, weak. Love could turn a man like him into a weaker one, and there was nothing scarier than to know it was coming. Love was coming for him. And maybe, _just maybe_, he would welcome it.

"I guess," he finally answered after a long pause. He sighed and put his boots on, avoiding Nico's glare, "She's different." _She would make a good queen. _"She's strong and fair." _She's everything I want. _"Maybe we'll have a future after the war." _I want to live beside her. _

"She likes you, you know. I've never seen her with a guy before but I can see it in her eyes for I have seen it so many times before, in Elysium when two lovers are reunited."

"But that's the thing friend," he looked down at his shoes and breathed deeply, "she's a mortal. I'm not."

"If you love her, you'll find a way."

The King turned toward Nico, a little smile painted on his bruised lips, but it felt fake. Nico knew perfectly well how to distinguish a real smile from a forced one, simply because he mastered how to fake one. And what he was seeing in front of him, was definitely not a true one. But he didn't say a word and inhaled.

"Let's go training."

Perseus rose to his feet and walked out of the tent, his hand on Nico's shoulder. The boy suppressed a shiver for the touch seemed too unfamiliar and strange. But it felt nice too.

For the next few hours they trained with swords, Perseus showing every little trick and move Nico could use during battle, teaching him every mistake he shouldn't do and all the things he should do. Then he showed him how to control the shadows, and no matter how frustrated or impatient Nico became at some times, Perseus kept his patience and taught him everything he needed to know to survive. At the end, both were sweating from the efforts, their bodies screaming for rest and minds just as tired as their bodies were.

"What happened to 'I'll go easy on you'?"

"I was going easy on you!"

"Damn." Simply replied Nico, his eyes resting on the clouds above him. "You really think you stand a chance against Gaia?"

"Why? You believe I don't?"

"Oh no, I truly think you do. But my opinion doesn't matter, only yours do."

"I think I do. She's older than me and more powerful but not that much. I'm King now, I have an entire kingdom supporting me and I have Chaos's powers too. She wasn't expecting it, so we have an advantage on her."

"Chaos wasn't going to get involve in the war?"

"Nah. My grandfather was never fond of wars. People mostly think that great power comes with violence and blood, but sometimes we can use that power to do good. That's what my grandfather thought. But he knew sometimes there wasn't another choice than to fight, he was a smart man. So he made me Prince so I would command the army and lead the battles. He hated it."

"How many have you fought in?"

"Hundreds." He laughed bitterly, "I stopped counting at some point."

"Aren't you tired of it, don't you want to like, I don't know, live your life and be happy?" The idea was completely strange to Nico, him who knew nothing about happiness or letting go. But he had to ask anyway.

"What's happiness for people like us, Nico?" He made shadows raise from his palm and made them turn until they looked like small cyclones. "We can have everything we want but happiness isn't one of them. We have power, and the two just don't go along together."

"You have Reyna."

"Do I?" He sighed and the shadows turned into flames.

He remembered his father, his grandfather, his brothers and sisters, some of his friends. Everyone leaves in the end. His father hated him ever since he realized how powerful his son was. His grandfather faded, leaving him alone again, along with the rest of his family and friends who died on the battlefield or decided to leave him. Yes, in the end they all leave.

"I don't know what happiness is, and I'm not sure I ever will, but if there's anything close to it, it might be love."

"That's where you're wrong, Ghost King. Love only brings pain, the rest is simply an illusion."

He remembered Cassandra. His first lover. How she had made him smile and laugh, how she had run with him in the fields of the Kingdom, how she had kissed him and made love to him. And in the end, it was all a lie. He remembered her voice saying the words as if it happened yesterday. _People like you don't deserve love. Everything I did and said, it was to sink this blade in your heart. To wait until you were asleep and kill you with my own hands. The only thing you deserve is pain. And I hope I gave it to you. _He remembered her on top of him in their bed, a dagger in her hand, ready to take his life and soul. He remembered his own hands around her neck, squeezing and squeezing until the life left her blue eyes, until the air wasn't a necessity for her dead lungs anymore. And it had been the first time he had ever cried.

"I have to go." And he left his friend, walking toward his tent, his heart heavy.

He had everything he wanted. Power, respect, loyalty and even friendship. And he had the knowledge. The one that he will never be happy, never love and be loved in return. The hope in his heart had died along with Cassandra, giving birth to a monster inside of him which ever since, lived with him and killed with him.

He had been a prince. People had tried to kill him, to befriend him and betray him. People were fake and evil. That, he knew. Even love was.

Now he was the King. People will try to murder him and become his ally. But he knew better now. Never to give your trust. Never to give your heart. Always be alive.

Regret nothing. Take everything.

ℂ

His sword tinted against his opponent's, he pushed and when the boy in front of him tumbled back, he arched his blade in the air and slashed his chest. He turned on himself to give more power to his blow, hitting the back of the boy's knees with the flat of his sword, sending him to the ground. He pointed the tip of his blade against his throat, and he surrendered. The boy left the arena, passing by Reyna's silhouette.

She approached the King and fisted the front of his shirt, forcing him to backtrack until they found the entry of a dark corridor of the arena. As soon as their bodies disappeared in the darkness, her lips crushed against his. He was pushed against the wall and he watched as Reyna took the hem of her shirt in her hand and pulled it off.

"Reyna?" She put her finger against his lips and moved her hands under his shirt, letting her skin meet his. "Reyna wait." Her lips met his violently, and he leaned into the kiss, surprised by how desperate her gestures were. But his mind wasn't hungry for her, nor his body. He wasn't in the mood for this. So he pushed her away gently, his eyes scanning her features with curiosity. "What's going on?"

"They're coming. And I need you okay? I fucking need you." He heard the tears in her voice and the lump forming in her throat by the way her voice cracked. And his whole body was submerged by a wave of compassion, affection and comprehension.

"Not here." So he took hold of her hand and they both vanished in the shadows before reappearing in his tent, his bedroom.

She immediately pushed him on the bed then straddled him, sitting on his lap. Her lips found his with fever, want and desperation. Because she thought it was the last time they would be able to be this close. To do this. His hands were lost in her dark hair while hers discovered his body. And only then, when the clothes were scattered on the floor, their breathings fast and uneven, he dared think it. _I love you. _

Only then, did he realize how much he cared about her. He would do anything to protect her.


	14. They're coming for you

I apologize for the lack of updating. I've been quite busy and since I have free time, I decided to write a little something just to keep you hanging on the story. Hopefully you will enjoy it!

**On the previous chapter :**

_"__And only then, when the clothes were scattered on the floor, their breathings fast and uneven, he dared think it. I love you._

_Only then, did he realize how much he cared about her. He would do anything to protect her."_

* * *

_A Promise of Blood._

φ

* * *

She had been right, Gaia's army was coming. They were about a few hours away from Camp Jupiter and everyone was ready, waiting for it, for the war and the blood, the violence and the rage.

The King was, more than anyone else.

He woke up to the warm feeling of a body against his and as he opened his eyes, he remembered the event of the night before. The kisses and the touches. The moans and the pleasure. It seemed so far away now that the war was knocking at their doors, that hundreds upon hundreds of soldiers were coming straight toward them. Looking at her sleeping features made him regret last night and he wished he could go back, do it all over again and again. But this little heaven they had reached was long gone, along with the night and the tranquility that had fallen on the camp.

Now was the time for war.

So he untangled himself from her, careful in his gestures not to wake her up and put some clothes on then left the tent. Everyone was already prepared with their armors on and weapons sharpened. His heart jumped in his chest. It wasn't fear or nervousness. No, it was relief. And joy. Finally the wait was over, finally they would fight and kill. And perhaps be killed too. But they would protect this world, _their_ world until their last breath. Including the king.

The sun was low in the horizon, orange and red floating in the sky like blood splattered around the clouds. And he realized it.

_We're going to die._

_But you will kill them before. As much as you can_, answered a voice in his mind_, you will inflict pain upon her army like no one did before. And you will die in peace. If that's what you want._

Hell, he didn't want peace and even less to die. All he wanted was to stay in that tent with Reyna and forget the world once again. But the world wouldn't let him, apparently.

He heard the sound of swords against swords, the grunts of soldiers training in last minute, the cries of fury of his mother's creatures, but all of those sounds were drowned by the atmosphere reigning over the camp. Fear mingled with apprehension.

And he could smell it. Blood was going to be shed here, it will be splattered on the earth and will be washed by the rain soon. The promise of blood was close, and the King will keep it. Whoever will stand before him, will die. He made that promise to whoever liked to hear it. His mother or Zeus perhaps. But today will be his battle and his body will be a weapon. The Earth will be his battlefield.

And the blood will be his oxygen.


	15. Chapter 13

Please don't hate me. I'm so so sorry for not uploading more, but I'm enjoying summer with my friends and don't have much time writing. This is quite short but I'm currently writing the next chapter and this one will be longer. Promise! Hope you still enjoy.

**On the previous chapter :**

_"__But today will be his battle and his body will be a weapon. The Earth will be his battlefield._

_And the blood will be his oxygen."_

* * *

**Chapter 13.**

War of Darkness

ℂ

* * *

"_The road to hell was paved with the bones of men who did not know when to quit fighting._"  
― Paulette Jiles.

* * *

He knelt before the bed, just beside Reyna's sleeping form, his black coat pooling around him. His men were waiting for him outside the tent, but leaving without saying goodbye would be felt like a treason for the Praetor. And he knew that. She looked more beautiful than he remembered, the few sunrays gathering on her tan skin, making it glow and shine. She looked peaceful this way, and it was the only thing he wanted to remember for now. He wanted to forget the soldiers outside with their sharp weapons and their enemies not so far. He let his fingers travel along her jaw and cheek, only brushing the soft skin not to wake her up. But she did anyway.

Her eyes opened slowly, searching for the source of the touch. When her eyes finally met his, he heard a little sigh escape her, from relief or happiness he didn't know. But he didn't really care. All the joy and love disappeared once she took in his armor and the hilt of his sword appearing over his shoulder. She remembered then. The war and the enemies. She had forgotten once in his arms, lost in his warmth and touch. But there was no escape any longer.

His green eyes seemed to juggle between her right one and her left one, as if they couldn't decide which one was the most beautiful. There was this intensity in his gaze, mingled with something that looked like regret or even fear that made her heart skip a beat.

"Remember when I said that men such as me were not meant to love?" She nodded shyly, not completely out of her sleepiness. "I –" but he said nothing. The words hung in the air, floating all around them. But she didn't need to hear them out loud, it was enough to know that he thought them, even just once.

"And I do too."

He smiled a little, but Reyna could see the sadness in the gesture. He didn't smile often, but when he did it was true. And she hated to see such an awful thing on his beautiful face.

His eyes spoke for him. They showed her all his love and affection, all his fears and regrets. And she understood it all, for she was sure her eyes were saying the same things to him.

"I will come back for you." He simply said after a few minutes of silence. "And then, I will change your life."

It sounded like a promise, and it felt like one. It made fireworks explode in her brain and heart, for once the two of them reacted the same way. Was it happiness she felt at the moment? Or was it something more?

"You will become the woman you were always destined to be, _Vasílissá Mou_." _Ma Reine._

She didn't have the time to part her lips, that he was already gone. Her breath was still caught in her lungs, and somewhere between her heart and sternum, she felt this aching. The words echoed in her skull, slowly fading, the sound of his voice becoming hers. And still stayed the aching in her chest provoked by his absence and the happiness of the souvenir of his presence. She had no idea what she was supposed to feel. She rolled on her stomach, her nose burried in the pillows. She could almost pretend that he was still here for his perfume surrounded her entirely.

But he was already far, far away. He found himself in New York, the moon still visible in the pale blue sky, almost hidden away by the sunrays. But today wasn't a warm or beautiful day. Because the call for blood and the call for death was too heavy in the air. His soldiers were silent behind him, but it was almost as if he could hear all their thoughts. The park they were standing in was wide, grass covering every inch of the ground, trees and flowers rising from it. That's when he saw her.

She was standing in front of him, about thirty meters away from him, alone. Her brown hair was dancing with the wind and her eyes of the same color were focused on him.

He had fought against bigger enemies, scarier and more powerful. But never had he fought against such a beautiful woman who feared nothing and no one, whose dreams were more powerful than life and death itself, whose determination was unbreakable. And there was nothing worse than that. When someone believes in what he's doing or about to do; when he wants nothing more than to achieve his goals; when he's ready to kill whoever stand on his way; there is nothing worse. Because you won't be fighting a person then, you will be fighting dreams and hopes. And what's more powerful than that?

She took a step toward him, her body moving with grace. He did the same until they were standing in front of each other, close enough to feel the other's warmth. She smelled like earth and rain in autumn.

"You came, your Highness."

"How could I not, Gaia?"

She smiled, but there was this cruelty hidden behind sympathy that made him want to rip her heart from her chest. She looked at him up and down, started to walk around him as if contemplating a master piece.

"You know, you could give up. You could join me," and she moved closer to his ear, her breath caressing his skin. "I could make you mine. I would treat you well." She laughed then, the sound echoing in his mind. "I could not hurt the beautiful thing you are."

"You already did." He said sharply. He still remembered every blow and cut, her nails digging in his throat and crushing his windpipe.

She laughed again, moving to stand before him. "Well, not again. Certain situations calls for certain measures."

"Tempting." He smiled then, feeling the blade caressing the bare skin of his forearm. "But I have the regret to tell you that I have to decline your proposition."

The smile disappeared from her lips, leaving her face bitter and angry. "What a shame." She stepped closer, her breath landing on his lips. "I could have make you so much more powerful. You would have been happy with me, stupid little Prince."

"Oh but I'm no Prince anymore, goddess." And he punctuated his sentence with a blade sunk in her chest. She gasped from surprise and pain, the dagger so close to her heart. He twisted it, lightly then all at once and she screamed. "You should have learned by now, Gaia. Wanting makes you weak." And he took his blade back, leaving a wide and bloody gash where it was a second before.

She fell on her knees, her eyes wide and accusing. Her hands were covering the wound, becoming gold with blood in a matter of seconds. She looked up at him with rage and betrayal in her brown eyes.

But Perseus's heart stopped when a guttural laugh escaped her throat, her eyes darker with fury and blood thirst.

"I'm not some mere mortal you can kill with a simple knife, my King." She spat the title as if it left a sour taste on her bloody tongue. "You will need much more than that to defeat me." And with that and a last smile, she disappeared.

Of course he knew that. He wasn't as stupid as she thought he was. But today wasn't the day he was going to fight Gaia. Today was the day he was going to defeat her army. She would be next. He laughed bitterly at the pool of golden blood on the grass, shining with the beautiful light of the sun.

When he looked up, a thousand of creatures were standing before him.

But his breath didn't stop.

Nor his heart skipped a beat.

He simply smiled, taking his sword and getting ready.

ℂ

Her hair was tied in a long braid, resting on her shoulder then on her chest. Her golden armor was strapped and her sword was in her hand. His voice and words still played in her head. _"You will become the woman you were always destined to be, Vasílissá Mou." _

_If you're to become a queen, then you ought to act like one, _she said to herself. _And queens are brave and strong. _Then she will be brave and strong. She had always been, she had fought before and she had won. But today it felt different. Because there was a promise on the other side of this army standing in front of her. There was a promise of a better life, of something greater; of love and happiness. And she was fighting to reach this promise today. She wouldn't fall today. Nor tomorrow. She wouldn't die, not before touching this new life with her fingertips.

So she raised her sword in the air, a scream leaving her lips. _FOR CAMP JUPITER_.

And Hell was unleashed on Earth.


	16. Chapter 14

**On the previous chapter :**

_"So she raised her sword in the air, a scream leaving her lips. FOR CAMP JUPITER._

_And Hell was unleashed on Earth."_

* * *

**Chapter 14.**

Battle of Darkness

ℂ

* * *

_If we're gonna die, bury us alive._

_If they're searching for us, they'll find us side by side._

_This world is gonna burn. _

_As long as we're going down, baby you should stick around._

* * *

And the cry goes out. And he's coming for blood.

There's no air anymore, just the sweet perfume of blood and sweat, surrounding him and stuck in his nose. And it's flying everywhere too, it's landing on his bruised face and on his body. It mixes with his own. It's sticking on his eyelids and he can taste it on his lips. Is it his or someone else's? It's haunting him and when he close his eyes, all he see is red.

But he doesn't stop. He never will.

So his sword keeps slashing and cutting flesh, his legs keep kicking and his knuckles meeting bones.

His body hurts, he can see the skin of his knuckles torn and the glimpse of the bones underneath it tells him to stop. But he doesn't. He can feel the warmth of the blood spreading along his right leg and he knows his shoulder isn't in its socket anymore.

_This is Hell, and I'm a beating heart among death. _

There is hate in his opponents' movements and screams. There is hate in their dark eyes and bare teeth. But it can't be as strong as his.

And he screams for more. He asks for more blood; more hate; more reasons to keep fighting.

He remembers Reyna's voice and the love in her eyes. _This is what you're fighting for. She's worth fighting a hundred men for. She's worth your sanity and your still beating heart. _

So he pictures her smile when he cut the throat of a man, and imagine her lips on his cheek when his blood land on it. He remembers the sound of her laugh when screams of pain and fury rise in the air. It's a little bit of paradise in this place that became Tartarus.

He feels the air whistling in his ear and he crouches before the sword hit the side of his neck. He answers the attack with a slash to the enemy's abdomen and when the latter steps back from the pain, he sink his blade in his heart. He immediately turns around, ready to stop the other blade coming straight at him. He groan under the power of the blow and the pain traveling from his blade down to his arms. He's pushed back by hands on his shoulders and he sees the sword of the man before him coming down. His breathing stops for a second, but his body reacts before his brain. His elbow connects with the man's ribs behind him, then he moves on the side to dodge. His sword cut the air and gash the first enemy's face then find its mark in the second enemy's guts. He can barely breathe before he's attacked again.

It's been hours maybe, or more. Time has disappeared, leaving only anger and blood. War has no time, the King knew that way before this battle. War knows only one thing: death. How many has he killed so far? He has no idea. Many. Too many. His sword is tireless, his brain is restless.

He punches a man on the nose, then again with the other hand. His foot hit his knee, then hook the side of his leg to make him fall on the bloody ground. He land on his back, momentarily knocked out, the oxygen leaving his lungs all at once. Perseus takes advantage of his position to dive his sword in the man's neck.

That's when he feels the pain. The awful, indescribable and terrorizing pain growing in his chest. The tip of a blade is sticking out of it. He tries to breathe, but his lungs don't work anymore. He tries to listen to his heart's beats. They're still here. But the pain. It makes him fall on his knees and bow his head. It makes his whole body shake and tremble. He hear his name somewhere, yelled by several voices. Or is it? Maybe it's just his soldiers falling just like him. When he looks up, there's no battlefield anymore. There are shadows everywhere, engulfing every soldier and every creature. It's comforting. There are here for him.

But he still smiles.

How stupid it is to die this way, to die by a blade's work, coming from behind on top of that.

How stupid it is to die at all.

So he inhales deeply, look up at the never ending blue sky and get on his feet. He feel the shadows leaving, and it hurts to see them fading without him. They are his home, his heart and his blood. But in a matter of seconds, they're all gone and the battlefield is back.

Everyone is staring at him.

He can feel his wings behind him and his mother's presence. It reminds him of times long gone, when she cared enough about him to kiss his forehead when he was upset, or hug him when he had fought with his father. But he isn't a boy anymore. And she perfectly knows that. He has grown into a monster; one she fears and apprehends; one that has taken her little boy away from her. And today, the monster is wearing his face.

They don't need to talk, a simple shared look and they know what to do. Nyx ignores how awful her son looks at the moment, with all this blood on his face and the darkness in his eyes. She's here to help him and his army, she would think about it later. Now is the time to win this battle and put an end to the massacre. They both curve their hands into fists, inhale deeply and close their eyes. The clouds above their heads slowly become grey then dark. The sun seems to hide, afraid of what is about to happen. Everyone else should be.

And they look like demons among men. King and Queen among their people. They're beautiful and dangerous, their wings fully extended and eyes closed.

They're as beautiful as darkness can be when it makes the stars shine brighter.

ℂ

She fights with rage and let the girl she was, curl somewhere inside of her, letting everything go. She isn't a girl anymore. She has grown into a monster; one that those creatures should fear and apprehend; one that would take their lives away.

Her golden sword meets flesh tirelessly, never missing, always hurting.

She steps aside to dodge one coming from an unknown creature, taking advantage of the opening and slashing her blade to the creature's side, opening a long gash from his ribs to his chest. The next second, it was dead on the ground with its throat cut open. Then it became ashes that scattered in the blowing wind.

And she fought for as long as she could, as hard as her body could take it. But she is only a mortal, and after hours her arms and legs were screaming in pain. She stops a second to take her breath, hands on her knees, gulping air as if it is the most precious thing on earth. She listens to the screams around her, the sound of metal against metal and she finds that nothing could be more beautiful. She has lost herself in the battle, in the rushing of adrenaline in her blood and the pleasure of killing. Her sword is now an extension of herself. She's a weapon and this battle is her playground.

She looks at the sky above her, the clouds a pure white and the sun as hot as ever. She had stopped smelling the blood an hour ago perhaps, getting used to it. The smell of blood and ashes, this kind of perfume that reminds her of the smell of burnt, is dancing around her and she has no idea if she will ever be able to smell something else. She tries to remember Perseus's perfume on the sheets this morning but it felt too far away to even grab the memory. All she can think about is the blood and the screams, and maybe it's better this way. She doesn't want to be disturbed by such sweet memories when she's fighting against a monster that could cut her head off with a slap.

Her eyes land on the battlefield in front of her, her fallen comrades still on the floor and the ones still fighting with everything they have and she can see the rage drawn upon their faces and in their movements. It's beautiful, she finds, to see how humans can become the things they're fighting against in a matter of hours. Because what she sees isn't Hazel nor Jason, it's monsters only wanting blood and revenge. There's nothing human in their eyes full of anger nor in their now bloody bodies.

She feels a presence behind her and when she turns around, a Cyclops is standing there, a few centimeters away from her face and an ugly smirk on his disgusting face. She smiles back with as much cruelty as she can, and curl her hand in a fist. Shadows appear from behind the monster and curl slowly around him, squeezing his throat with strength and wrapping his ankles and wrists together so he can't lay a finger on her. Then he explodes in ashes, spattering on her. She coughs a little and wash the ashes on her face with the back of her hand.

She extend her arm and the shadows follow her orders, engulfing another creature and breaking its neck, then moving to another and breaking its both legs so the demigod can sink her blade in its heart. And so on, bones are broken and hearts are stopped only with a wave of shadows. And she feels so powerful, watching it obeying her, doing exactly how she thinks it. The shadows leave a trail of dead bodies behind them, some are turning ashes whereas others stay still on the ground like humans. But she doesn't care what they are, they must die. Every single one of them.

She feels warm and invincible as if the battle was happening in another world and she was simply watching it from her living room. Of course she stayed aware, being careful that no one approaches her and when a creature dared to, the shadows were here in a second.

She smiles when she feels the necklace around her neck beat lightly, meaning her King is still alive and still fighting, his power flowing in her veins. _He's calling for the darkness inside of him, as you're calling for the one inside of you. _Then the shadows starts to shift, slowly becoming silhouettes and then men. They have no real features, the shadows forming them always moving, but she could clearly see arms and legs and heads even though there are no eyes nor mouths. But they are hers. And they're beautiful.

She watches as they slay monsters, turning them into a pile of ashes and crushing their windpipe, breaking their ribs and cutting flesh. They're dangerously captivating, the speed in their movements and the precision too high to be from a mortal.

She took hold of the necklace and smiled.

ℂ

The day is gone along with the sun, it's dark as if it is night only the moon is absent.

_This world is going to burn. _

He raise his arms in the air and he knows his mother is doing the same beside him.

_This world is going to suffer._

An explosion ring out somewhere on the battlefield and people scream, monsters or his own soldiers he doesn't know. All he cares about for now is the darkness inside of him, surrounding him. He's breathing it and he can feel it in his blood, it's burning with power and it wants to be unleashed, it wants to destroy. So he let it.

And it hurts like nothing else before. It's like electricity in every cell of his body, like a thousand of knives perforating his whole body and cutting his soul into pieces. He doesn't scream and his throat burns. He hears his name but it feels like the voice is a hundred years away. He has never felt this way before. His body is a flame, powerful and scary, it's burning and burning until it consumes everything.

"Perseus."

He recognizes the voice and it makes his heart stop.

"Perseus, please listen to me."

_Go away. Not now. Please._

"Son."

_Go away, _he screams and he's not sure if he said it aloud or simply in his mind. But he doesn't. And when he looks up he's here, standing in front of him with his perfect uniform and his crown. He looks like the King he had always been and it hurts to look at him. It hurts to be so close to him.

"There are consequences to what you just did." He smiles with compassion and hold his hand to him, "you have to come with me."

That's when he screams. Because he knows what is happening.

"You should have known it, you should have, son." He sees tears on his cheeks but he doesn't care. "I'm sorry it has to end this way."

"You can't, Chaos."

"Oh but I can, Percy." He smiles sweetly and cup his wet cheek. "I'm sorry you had to die this way."


	17. Chapter 15

**I'm so sorry for the late update. I've been lacking imagination and I don't feel like writing as much as I used to. I'm sorry because this is crap too and short. Hope you still enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 15.**

King of Darkness

ℂ

* * *

_I know the further I go,_  
_The harder I try, only keeps my eyes closed._  
_And somehow I've fallen in love_  
_With this middle ground at the cost of my soul._

* * *

What can you do when you watch the only person you've ever truly loved, fall on the ground, her heart stopping its melody to replace it with a sickening silence? What are you supposed to do when you watch your son, your blood, your flesh, collapse on the earth with his eyes wide open but not really seeing? What should you do or say when you feel like your heart is being ripped from your chest because you realize you're watching it die at your feet? The realization hits you like death; there is nothing you can do. No matter how hard you scream or how hard your knees meet the ground, no matter how sweetly your fingers caress his skin and hair or how many tears fall from your eyes; because it's hopeless.

What is it you're supposed to do when you watch your king fall, lifeless and so damn quickly he's gone. And you know it, deep down. He's gone. Just like that, just like a shooting star, gone as quickly as it appeared in the night sky. You walk with the weight of the world on your shoulders, and you look at his body with tears in your eyes. He was your friend; he was more than your king. He was a brother to you. And you lost him.

What is it you're supposed to feel when you see his sea green eyes, which used to be so full of life, now cold, unmoving and lifeless? You don't know, but you know you're supposed to feel _something_, anything. But all you feel is the emptiness crawling inside of you like a snake, and the anger in your heart, growing with each beating that your friend's heart is not doing any longer.

She watches you with her black eyes, full of sorrow and rage. You're sure yours are their mirror. She swallows with difficulty and you realize you've never seen her like this. And it's awful. You see the storm, the fury appearing quickly on her features. You used to think that she was beautiful, but now she looks like your worst nightmare.

An angry goddess is no good news.

But a goddess in grief is the last thing you'll see before she breaks you.

So you look at his body one last time, trying to remember his features; his strong jaw, his full pale lips, his beautiful eyes with long lashes, his dark eyebrows and his sharp cheekbones. This is the face of death; of grief; of everything you hate. But you love him. Or should you say, _loved_?

You don't understand, then. How did this happen? How the _hell_ something like this could happen?

But it doesn't matter because you will avenge him. You will make him proud, from wherever he is now. Because even in death, he is your friend and your king.

You let a tear fall and grab your sword. She nods and get on her feet. She glances at her son with eyes full of pain and sorrow.

_How are you supposed to live after losing your only reason to keep breathing?_

But this is war. And it's all that matters.

So you run and raise your sword, cutting a monster's head off and stabbing another. You think about his laugh while you make a hellhound scream in pain. You think about the crown shining on his dark hair, and your sword cut a throat somewhere in the ocean of corpses and blood. You think about the way he would shove your shoulder when you said something stupid and you yell while sinking your blade in a monster's face. You think about the hours you would both spend, training and riding on your horses in the kingdom while you cut open a monster's guts.

You ignore the blood on your face and the way your throat burns because of your screams. You focus on the flesh, on your sword in your hand, on your friend's body near you. There's only the battlefield and you; the mission and the soldier; Gaea and Patroclus.

ℂ

"_Do you remember that night when you came to see me in my room, crying? It was the first and last time I saw you crying. Do you remember what you said to me?"_

"_That there was a monster living inside of me."_

"_Exactly. And do you remember what I replied?"_

"_That there was a monster living inside each one of us."_

"_Exactly. And then you told me that yours was worse than anyone else's and you cried all night. I never knew why, and I never wanted to." Chaos smiled warmly at his grandson. "And in the morning, you sat up in the bed and you looked at me with determination and you told me that you'd fight it. Every morning you'd wake up, you'd fight this monster. It was the first time you did it." _

"_I was awful at it. The next day I burned an entire village."_

"_But I see it now. The monster inside of you is gone." He takes Perseus's head in his hands, "I've never seen you like this. It's all I ever wished for."_

"_Why does it matter? I'm dead."_

_Chaos smiled at the sad look in the boy's eyes. "You will never die, Percy."_

And you open your eyes.

ℂ

His body hurts. Everything inside of him hurts like he's been hit by a truck. He feels so weak, so much that he could sleep for weeks. He realize that he exhausted himself by using his powers all at once. He turns his head to watch the battlefield where he recognize his mother and Patroclus, Nico and a few of his soldiers fighting. They look mad.

But he's alive. He's breathing and it's such a relief to feel his heart beating inside his chest. He doesn't know how such a thing could happen, but all he cares about is that he's alive. It's all that matters.

He can still hear his grandfather's voice inside his skull and see the smile on his lips. Perhaps he was the one who made him come back. Perhaps he did nothing at all. Of course, he doesn't understand his grandfather's last words. _You will never die_. Every living creature would die at some point. If you could bleed, you could die. That was the logic anyway.

He blinks when blood lands on his eyelid and on his cheek. A few minutes ago, it was him who was fighting and screaming like his soldiers were at the moment. It feels unfair to watch and be unable to do anything about it. So he stays there, lying on the ground, covered in blood and sweat but breathing and alive until someone comes to him. Nico. He could recognize him no matter the amount of blood he had on the face or how angry his features looked. He whispers his name, but his voice sounds so hopeless that he feels ashamed of it. Nico's black eyes meet his and he can see surprise and doubt in them. But still, the boy kneels beside him and take his king's head in his bloody hands, a look of disbelief on his face.

"Percy?"

"What happened?"

"You… you just collapsed and then you were dead. Fuck." He inhales deeply and meet his eyes again. "You were dead. Gone."

"I'm okay."

"How can you be? How is that possible?"

"Help me." He gestures to his feet and Nico understands. He holds him while he get back on his feet and once he's standing again, his hands find his sword on the ground and hold it. "Cover my back and I will do the same for you." Nico doesn't say a word, but nods in comprehension and put his back against his king's.

At first, it was hard to stand by his own and he had to hold onto Nico for a minute or two before his legs felt strong enough to work again. Once it was done, he rushed back into the battle. He didn't lose a single second. It felt as if nothing happened. As if he had never fell and collapsed on the ground. He was still the same man, the same king and same soldier. It didn't matter what occurred two minutes ago. What mattered what was happening right now.

He can feel Nico behind him and hear his screams of anger and challenge. Perseus tries to focus on his friend's anger and on his own. Anger makes his blows more powerful and make his brain react more quickly. Anger is his fuel. He ignores the enemies' looks of disbelief when they meet him. He only focus on the battle.

This is what he was born for. The blood, the violence, the hate and the rage. It's what makes his heart beat and makes his brain work. It's what he was made for. To fight and to kill; to destroy and shred into pieces. And it feels so liberating to finally do it. Do it all. Again and again. Kill, kill, parry, kill and kill again until no one's left. And at some point, it's exactly what happens.

He stands there, in the middle of the park which is covered by ashes and blood, hundreds upon hundreds of eyes focused on him. It doesn't feel strange, simply different because the same eyes saw him die an hour ago and now they are watching him closely, as though he is another of these creatures. He meets his mother's gaze. It's what hurts him the most. The first woman he had loved with all his heart and spirit, the first woman he's been loyal to. The woman he owes everything to. He see sadness and shock in her black eyes, but once she recognize her son, he sees all the love and affection she feels for him. And a certain warmth grows in his chest. His mother. His everything.

Her arms are around him in a blink of an eye, and she repeats his name like a lullaby in his ear.

"I can't believe it." She finally says and step back to look at her son's face more closely. "What happened?"

"I saw Chaos. Apparently death doesn't want me. Not now, not ever."

Her brow furrows and she studies him for quite some time before Perseus hears another, deeper voice behind him.

"Perseus."

He turns around and face Patroclus, his old friend. He's paler than ever and he could swear he saw his knees tremble. Then his arms are around him too. It feels too intimate to be hugged in such ways by two different people in front of his army. Too awkward too.

"No matter how hard they try, they will never kill you, huh?"

He laughs at that and nods. No one will. Ever.

At that, he faces his army or what's left of it anyway. He has lost many of his soldiers, he could see that. But now wasn't a time for mourning but for celebration. That's what the dead would want anyway; to celebrate the victory.


	18. Chapter 16

**Damn, damn, damn. I apologize for the lack of update. I'm truly sorry.**

**On the previous chapter : **

"At that, he faces his army or what's left of it anyway. He has lost many of his soldiers, he could see that. But now wasn't a time for mourning but for celebration. That's what the dead would want anyway; to celebrate the victory."

* * *

**Chapter 16.**

Queen of Darkness

ℂ

* * *

_And we're wrapped in light, in life, in love._  
_Put your open lips on mine and slowly let them shut_  
_For they're designed to be together_  
_With your body next to mine our hearts will beat as one_  
_And we're set alight, we're afire love._

* * *

She fought like there was a demon living inside of her and it wanted only blood. It was desperate for it, thirty and hungry for it. It's only when saw the tip of a golden sword appear from her opponent's stomach that she stopped, her heart beating fast enough to make her dizzy. She wanted to kill them all; monsters and men included. She wanted to cut their throats and see the life fade from their eyes. But when the man in front of her fell on his knees and Perseus's harsh features emerged, the demon disappeared, leaving a certain emptiness behind. The man's body went limp on the bloody ground and in the same second, Perseus's hands were stroking Reyna's cheeks and his green eyes were lit with a sweetness she had never seen before, except maybe when they had shared the same bed the night before.

"Are you okay?" His voice told her how worry he really was and she sighed in contentment.

She nodded and smiled, "are you?"

"Yes, love. I am."

But she could see the golden blood on his armor and there was no doubt it was his, except if he had fought against a god, which Reyna highly doubted. But it was so good to have him here again, so close and to feel the warmth of his skin against hers. Having him by her side gave her the strength she was desperately trying to regain; he gave her courage and power. That was all she needed to win this battle along with her cohort. She needed him. They all did.

So she kissed his cold lips and got back into the battle before an enemy decided to do it. She turned and slayed a monster's chest before cutting its throat with a cry. Yes, her body was much stronger now and her mind was more determined. He was all she needed, all along he was the answer. The answer to this battle and who will win it. While she cut off a hellhound's head, she realized that he was everything. _Of course he is, _she thought, _he's the King of the Universe. _

Slowly his presence seemed to fade, so she turned around to look at the spot where he was standing minutes ago. He wasn't there. Actually, she couldn't see him anywhere. His soldiers, on the other hand, were everywhere, mixing with demigods and helping them, fighting beside them. Their presence gave a new strength to every demigod on the battlefield, a new feeling of hope raised in the air and she could almost smell it floating around her. She smiled with pride. This was her friends fighting, brothers and sisters with whom she shared no blood but something much more than that.

An arrow whistled by her right ear and almost touched her dark hair. She immediately crouched and tried to see where it had landed. It was when she heard another one and watched it piercing a Cyclops' only eye that she understood she wasn't the target. She turned again, trying to see where the arrows were coming from but she couldn't see a damn thing because of the mass of soldiers, the tall monsters and the battle cries and blood was distracting her. She caught a glimpse of gold before an arrow touched an enemy in the chest on her right. _It doesn't matter, _she decided. As long as it wasn't a threat, she could deal with this later and discover who's protecting her.

By the time she pivoted on her heels, a hellhound was jumping toward her but stopped in the air when a golden arrow landed in its neck and another followed a mere second later, and perforated its eye. She gripped her sword and killed every single enemy on her way, standing or wounded on the ground. She wanted no survivors and no prisoners. Only dead men and ashes. Sometimes arrows would kill one she hadn't seen or appeared to be too strong. She was glad for the help, even though the question of who was actually doing it couldn't leave her mind.

When she heard a guttural laugh behind her back, she turned to discover a Cyclops, huge rocks in his hand and an awful smile on his face. God, she hated them. So she took her sword and fought with all her will and strength. After a couple minutes, she cut his hand off and sank her golden blade in his knee before driving it into his neck. It's when the Cyclops turned into ashes that she realized the battlefield was quiet. It seemed so unnatural now, so strange to hear not even a sound.

Her eyes landed on a dark figure standing on the hill, golden bow in hand and golden arrow in the other. She could recognize him from anywhere. The way he was standing, his chin high as if he was proud and mocking you, the way his dark eyebrows seemed to cut his pale face, the way he looked beautiful without even trying. A magnificent black horse was standing beside him, wings a deep black and three times bigger than his own body and a golden saddle on its back. Rubies and diamonds were decorating its head and shone in the afternoon's sun. She had a Pegasus too and yet it looked nothing like Perseus's. It was majestic, proud as if it knew it was the King riding him and not some mere demigod. In a certain way, it looked like Perseus.

Perseus hopped on its back with grace and crossed the battlefield slowly, his soldiers kneeling when the horse arrived at their height, and soon the demigods followed, grateful for the help he had offered and for the victor he had made possible. It was a strange sight to see him sitting on his beautiful Pegasus, people kneeling on each side of him with their head bent in respect and loyalty. But Reyna didn't imitated them. She stood on her feet proudly, her eyes locked with her lover's. And what she saw in them made her heart explode in her chest. She could see the adoration and the awe, the love and respect. Tears prickled in her own, the happiness and relief to know he was safe and alright, to know that now they could be together.

He offered her his hand and she took it with a little smile and once she was on the Pegasus' back, she circled Perseus's waist with her arms. Her body relaxed against his as if it knew that it was safe where she was. That's when she saw all the bodies scattered on the ground, almost every single one had a golden arrow pierced in different parts of their lifeless bodies. She sighed and squeezed her arms, her gesture answered by his hand holding hers tightly and his fingers intertwining with her own.

But it was only once in his tent that she let herself fall into his arms, seeking the comfort and the warmth he perfectly knew how to provide when she needed it. And right now, she craved it. She craved the way his strong chest crushed against her, the way he held her as though he could protect her from the world outside and all the things that could hurt her. She didn't know how long she stayed like this, her cheek against his chest and his chin resting on top of her head. It didn't matter.

"Will you tell me one day?" She asked, finally breaking the silence between the two of them.

"Maybe," his voice was barely louder than a whisper and it sounded so rich to her ears after all the screams of pain and loss she had heard all day. It sounded so peaceful and beautiful.

She wanted to know where his blood came from and if he had been hurt, she wanted to know how. She wanted to make sure he was perfectly alright and then crash into his bed and fall asleep beside him until nothing else existed except his skin against hers and his hot breath against her ear.

She stepped back, tilting her head to look into his pale green eyes. "Thank you for today, _Vasiliá Mou_," she kissed his lips lightly, "thank you for saving us."

"I told you I wouldn't give up on you. I promised."

She took his hand in hers and led him to the bed. She took off her armor and his, disarming him and took a wet cloth, cleaning his body with great care and absolute adoration, her gests shy and loving. He did the same to her, cleaning every drop of blood or ashes. And they lied in bed together when they were finally clean, his chest against her naked back. Skin on skin, heart beats melting together and creating a wonderful melody, fingers and love interlaced.

"Reyna," he whispered against her ear, sending shivers down her spine and making the hair of her arms rise.

She didn't answer, her eyes too heavy and the exhaustion crushing her. She was already half asleep and no matter what he had to say, it could wait until morning.

"I love you."

Maybe it couldn't, after all. She opened her eyes and tried to register what he had just said. Her heart went frantic, her body shaking. He had said it and it felt so amazing to hear his smooth voice and feel his lips articulate the words she had dreamed to hear someday.

"I love you so much it scares me sometimes," she didn't move nor said a word, afraid that he would stop speaking if he knew she was awake, "and I don't know what I'm supposed to do with you. What to say to you. But I know one thing, Reyna, I want you to be my queen. I want you to be my wife. I want you to die beside me, but before that, I want you to live happily beside me. Would you accept that?"

She couldn't breathe any longer. Her breath was stuck somewhere between her lungs and throat. Swallowed by the words escaping his pretty lips. Crushed by the sound of his beautiful voice. She turned and faced him, looking into his eyes. Hers became watery from the intensity and the love resting in his green orbs, and her hand reached to touch his cheek.

"I would. I would become your wife and your queen, and everything else you want me to be."

He smiled then, showing her his perfectly white teeth. He looked like a kid, smiling and beaming like that. And she liked seeing him this way. "If you grant me this wish, I swear I'll never ask anything else to anyone. All I want is you, Reyna. Everything else is just detail. You and me, your crown and mine, our Kingdom and our reign."

She wanted to weep so badly, from happiness or the intensity of her feelings, she didn't know.

"I'll grant you this wish, my love."

He kissed her, brushing his lips against hers as if he was scared to hurt her or that she would disappear. "Then I swear to you that I'll be good to you and to our future children. I swear to you I'll take care of you, love you, cherish you and worship you until my last breath. I'm utterly and completely yours as soon as I pronounce those words in front of my kingdom. Your kingdom." He came closer again and spoke so every time his lips moved, he would brush hers. "And I'll make your life so much better, my queen. I will make you the happiest woman on this planet and people will bent before your beauty and your power. I swear it to you, _Vasílissá Mou_."

His words made her body so warm that it seemed to glow and set itself on fire. She couldn't find the words nor the air to speak. But he didn't need words. All he needed was to know she was his and only his. He didn't need words, only actions. So she showed him how deeply and strongly she loved him, how ready she was to become his wife. And right then, the words seemed to be so useless.


	19. Chapter 17

**Thank you for all the kind reviews. It really makes me want to write and continue this story.**

**On the previous chapter :**

"All he needed was to know she was his and only his. He didn't need words, only actions. So she showed him how deeply and strongly she loved him, how ready she was to become his wife. And right then, the words seemed to be so useless."

* * *

**Chapter 17.**

Wings of Darkness

ℂ

* * *

"_It's only after we've lost everything that we're free to do anything._"  
― Chuck Palahniuk.

* * *

She woke up to the feeling of something shifting beside her. When she opened her eyes, she had the joy to discover a sleeping Perseus, his face turned away from her, his forearm resting on his bare chest and she surprised herself at smiling at the sight in front of her. He looked so relaxed, his body still except for the rise and fall of his chest, and it was such a pleasure to not see the frown between his eyebrows nor the way his lips were pressed together whenever he didn't approve of something. He looked peaceful and calm this way, and she loved to see him like this. She realized this was going to become a daily sight and her heart jumped in her chest. She was going to become his wife, his lover and she would share his bed every night and spend her days beside him. What else could she ask for? This was everything she wanted.

She snuggled closer to him, caressing the bare skin of his shoulder with her lips and she smiled when he shifted and hummed softly in his sleep. She let her fingers trace the muscles of his arm, following the path of his veins and enjoying the softness of his skin against hers. He turned on his side toward her, his eyes still closed and she laughed a little at how hard he was to wake up. She kissed his forehead, his temple, his cheek and when she moved toward his lips, she realized that his eyes were barely open but watching her with curiosity and want.

"Good morning," she smiled and moved back to rest her head against her pillow.

"Good morning," he repeated with a little sleepy smile on his own that made her body grow hot.

He groaned and buried his face in his pillow and she laughed at how childish he was.

"Come on, you'll have to wake up at some point."

"The later, the better."

She shifted closer and circled his waist with an arm, her lips kissing his shoulder blade and shoulder, "I don't want to sleep."

"Hmm," he simply replied but he turned his face to look at her when she let her tongue and teeth discover the taste of his skin. "Reyna." He warned her but she simply smiled with calculation. She obviously knew what she was doing and the impact it had on him. He fully turned on his back when her lips traveled down his neck and up to his ear and the next second, she was pinned on the bed and he was on top of her. "I swear to the Gods, you're going to kill me woman."

"Not really the results I was looking for," she said, her lips still forming a mocking smile.

He pressed his body against hers, letting her savor the feeling of his warm skin against her own and the way every part of him seemed to perfectly lock with every part of her. It felt exquisite to be so close to him and feel him entirely. She craved for more and she let a moan escape her throat when his lips brushed the skin of her neck then collarbone.

"I'm going to be busy today, so you'll have to take care of a few things for me, since you are now my wife."

Damn, hearing him say it made her body ache for him. She circled his neck with her arms and crushed his body against hers, holding him there even when she started to have trouble breathing. She wanted him to stay there forever, nestled in the crook of her arms, her fingers swimming in the ocean of his black hair and his hot breath hitting her skin with strength.

"What is it?"

"Nothing," she answered, still holding him as if he could disappear in a matter of seconds, "nothing."

He relaxed in her hold, letting her hold him as though he was a child. He felt safe there and the world, the war, the obligations faded to leave only her and him, her arms around his neck and her legs circling his waist.

He tried to imagine how she would look like in her wedding gown, clothed in black, jewels hanging from her neck and around the top of her head. He tried to realize that she was his. He tried to guess how her voice would sound like when she would vow herself to him, her loyalty and her love until the last beat of her heart.

"I love you," he whispered unconsciously against her shoulder, "I fucking love you." He let his hand wander over the skin of her bare thigh, going up to her knee then down to her hip. He kissed her jaw, his tongue and lips suckling the skin there. He registered every movement of her body in reaction to his doing, and every sound leaving her lips. "I have to go, love." She looked at him with betrayal in her dark eyes and he smiled at the threat in them. "We'll finish this later tonight, promise."

He kissed her quickly on the lips before getting up and putting his clothes on. He turned to face her once again, a smile forming on his lips at the sight of his future wife in bed, tangled in the black covers, her tanned skin and dark hair mingling with the silk sheets. She was a true beauty, in darkness or light, covered in blood or gold, holding a sword or himself, she was always glorious and his eyes couldn't get enough of her. She watched him, his every move as he dressed and she found herself kneeling on the bed in front of him, her hands reaching for his shirt's collar.

"Be careful, okay?"

"Always," he kissed her and put his cloak on, "Patroclus will come pick you up in a few and will tell you everything you need to know." He smiled, eyeing the necklace he had given her weeks ago and that she was now wearing every day and night. "I'll see you tonight, wife."

"See ya, husband," she replied while laughing and he disappeared without another word.

ℂ

When he opened his eyes again, the feeling of her skin against his still fresh in his mind, he breathed deeply, only to smell the perfume of the earth, the damp smell of it beneath his feet and surrounding him.

Gaia was standing in front of him. And she was pissed. There was rage in her brown eyes and he knew she wasn't here to simply talk. She was here to finish the job and put an end to this war. What better way to do it than to kill the king?

He tried to grab his sword but she moved so quickly he didn't even have the time to take another breath. Her hand was around his neck and his back met with an awful force the trunk of a tree.

"You," she spat with venom and fury, "you killed half of my army yesterday. And you're going to suffer for it. Oh, you're going to beg me to kill you, you useless and worthless piece of royal shit."

"I warned you," he struggled to say, unable to breathe and swallow his saliva.

"You think that's what's going to save you, my King?" She laughed bitterly and squeezed her hand, "oh how wrong you are."

He couldn't control the shaking of his under oxygenated body, the way his mind seemed to explode and his throat to burn.

"You should have accepted my proposition. To join my army. To join me."

He smiled, no matter how hard it was, because if he was to die at this moment, he wasn't going to beg to live, he was going to go with dignity and pride.

"Beg for me." She pressed, her hand relaxing its hold on his bruised throat. "I want to hear you say it."

He swallowed and almost winced at the pain it produced, "I'll swallow my blood before I swallow my pride, old woman."

The back of her hand met his cheekbone and his head jerked on the side from the strength of the blow. He laughed, his hand wiping away the blood on his cheek.

"Don't play the tough one with me. I know who you are."

"So do I." He replied with arrogance and mockery in his tone.

He straightened, his chin high and eyebrows furrowed. Huge wings spread out of his back, black as the night and as beautiful as the galaxy. He took a step toward her, towering her with his height and as she looked into the dark pit that used to be his eyes, she didn't move a single muscles, no matter how scary he looked.

"You shouldn't have come here and threaten me the way you did. You should know by now that pissing me off is a very bad idea and a misjudgment from you."

His whole body seemed to glow in anger and radiated power. She looked up at him, glad to see how ready to fight he was. That's why she was here. To fight and kill the king, cut his head off and offer it to his dumb army. Then she would bury them all underground.

But for now, she had to deal with the king and she knew it wasn't going to be an easy fight. She had heard much about him since she had woken up, she had heard of his strength and skills with a sword but also with his powers. He surely wasn't a nobody. She had heard what he had done in the past, the villages he had burnt down and the families, armies, monsters he had killed. She had been impressed and pleased to see him arriving when she had asked for Chaos. She had been spellbound by his beauty and his powerful aura. There was no mistake in the fact that he was a son of Nyx, he looked like a demon from the inside but an angel from the outside, so typical from the Goddess of Night.

She had been so disappointed when he had refused her offer to join her army and fight by her side. He would have become her consort and she would have proudly walked beside him. But he had refused and it was too bad that he had to die for it.

When she used her powers to bury his feet under the earth to prevent him from moving, he disappeared in a cloud of shadows to reappear behind her back. She turned the moment he took hold of his dagger and raised it in the air, the blade ready to strike her neck but she grabbed it with her bare hand and her own weapon appeared in her other hand. She drove it into his chest where it buried itself into his flesh with a satisfying noise.

Everything stopped. The world seemed to stop, the wind calmed down, the trees and animals stopped moving along with the clouds and the rest of the universe.

Golden blood escaped his lips and he looked at her with half closed eyes. He smiled then, dimples peeping out in his cheeks.

"You think that will be enough, goddess?" He took the handle of the dagger with his hand and threw it on the ground at his feet.

She looked at him with wide eyes while he straightened and still, a smile was painted on his bloody lips. She couldn't believe he had survived the wound, so close to his heart she was sure she had touched it. But the king was ready for another fight, his body unaffected and still so strong.

And then he attacked, his blow so perfectly balanced and powerful that she stumbled back, taken aback by it. She roared when she made her move, trying to dive her blade in his heart. But he was ready for her, ready for her blows and attacks. He seemed to know every move she was going to make and knew how to dodge them or parry them. He was steady on his feet, his arms and shoulders aligned when his blade met hers. She realized that what she had heard about his skills were not lies. He was even much better than what she expected him to be.

They fought for what seemed to be hours. Endless and exhausting hours where he played with her and where she played with him. He never backed down, he was always focused on her moves and on his attacks, and so was she.

His foot kicked her knee and she struggled not to fall. The mere second of distraction enabled him to reappear behind her and circle her neck with his strong arm. He squeezed as hard as he could while she thrashed and cursed him with names and insults that showed how creative she could be.

Fortunately for her, she still had a dagger hidden under her sleeve and she took it, sinking it into his abdomen. He stepped back, holding his new wound. She smiled at the pain written on his now bloody face.

"You won't defeat me, child. Give up and I'll make it quick."

He spat his blood at her feet and took back his sword, "that's not the way I see things."

And they continued to fight. When he attacked, she would protect herself, parry and attack back. And this, for hours. Tiredness started to creep on her, making her muscles ache and her blows became less and less powerful, her mind was screaming for her to end it. For her to take his life.

He slashed his sword and the blade met the skin of her cheek, and she felt the burn of it and the warmth of her blood running down her cheek and her jaw. She clutched the wound and stared at the king, standing proud and angry. He wasn't even breathless. Nothing in his posture showed her that he was tired. And she was exhausted.

That was it.

She let her rage out, the earth rising from the ground and pinning him down on his stomach. He gasped in surprise and tried to escape her hold but her anger and fury made her powers so much more powerful that he was unable to move a single inch.

He tried to crawl, to turn on his back but it was useless. She had him at her mercy. She stood above him, his wings beating. She smiled when the idea crossed her mind. Oh, he was going to beg. Her dagger in hand, she took a wing in the other and he screamed. He screamed because he understood. He knew what was coming and he hated it. He hated her and everything around him. With one sickening sound, the blade met the bone of his wing that attached it to his back. He yelled at the agony, at the intensity of it. It was worse than anything he had ever known. He screamed and screamed and screamed without a pause while he felt the dagger cut down his wing. And during it all, she laughed.

And then nothing.

ℂ

"Gods damn it, where is he?" Muttered Patroclus under his breath, pacing in the King's tent. "He should have been back hours ago!"

Reyna was sitting on the bed, trying to reassure him even though the panic in her chest was growing every minute Perseus wasn't coming back.

"Okay, that's it," he suddenly said while grabbing his sword, "I'm going to look for him."

That's when they heard footsteps coming from the other side of the tent, where his throne was. They got on their feet and a soldier that Reyna had never seen before entered, a sick expression on his pale face. He was shaking.

"My lord," he bowed rapidly before swallowing, "the King…" Her heart skipped a beat at the worry and apprehension in the soldier's voice.

"What?" Patroclus barked, his hands curled in fists, "where is he?!"

"Come with me!" And the soldier disappeared behind the curtain.

They both followed him, their hearts beating fast in their chests and their minds running with theories at what could have happened to him. Of course, they couldn't help thinking about the worst. But they weren't prepared for what they saw.

Perseus was being held by two soldiers and Reyna recognized Nico on his left, Perseus's arm around his neck. The king looked as white as a sheet, blood running down his uniform and his eyes closed. They tried to make him walk but he fell on his knees and the two soldiers knelt beside him, trying to get him back on his feet.

Reyna rushed toward him, worry and concern making her hands shake. That's when she realized what was wrong with him. Patroclus screamed behind her and ran to his friend, taking his head in his hands and shaking it.

"What happened?" He shouted but the king didn't even flinch as if he couldn't hear his friend's voice, "oh Gods, no, no, no!"

A single wing was spread out from his back and the other was resting on the ground, its feathers becoming white and losing its beauty. Tears ran down her cheeks as she remembered the day he had showed her his wings with such pride and care. She remembered how they had glowed in the moon's light, showing her the stars hidden between the feathers. Perseus's head fell against Patroclus's shoulder and stayed there. Patroclus was weeping at the sight of his friend's back.

"I'm so sorry, Gods, I'm so sorry. I should've been there. I should've protected you." He held the king in his arms while the soldiers gathered around them, some bowed their heads in sorrow while others watched with anger and vengeance their king's dying wings and his weakened body.

Reyna stepped forward, and she closed her eyes when she saw his back. The wing's bone was still visible and had been cut without care, only with rage and she could see it. She heard his voice, the voice she loved so much, it was so low she had to kneel beside him and press her face against his temple.

"I want her," he was saying and she could hear all the pain and agony in his broken voice, "I only want her. Please." He was begging for her. He was begging for his wife.

"I'm here love," she whispered against his feverish skin, "I'll always be here."

And she felt his body shook as he struggled not to weep. He wanted to cry for his useless wings and the pain traveling his body restlessly, for the exhaustion and the relief to have his queen beside him.

What is an angel without his wings? It doesn't matter what kind of angel he is. The only thing that truly matters is his wings. And he had lost them. And it felt like someone had ripped a piece of him and turned it into ashes before scattering it in the wind.

But he didn't cry. Not a single tear fell from his eyes and soon the sorrow and agony became rage, fury and he felt a certain coldness installing itself in his chest.

What is an angel without his wings? He's just a man. Just a worthless piece of meat. An animal with a spirit and a soul.

He remembered how proud he had been to have his wings when he was just a kid. To feel them, to touch them, to fly with them and kill with them.

What is an angel without his wings? Absolutely nothing.

He swore that he would avenge himself. And every single person standing on his way would die.


	20. Part II

**I am so so sorry for the late update. **It's been almost a month and I feel awful for letting you guys down but I had no inspiration, no motivation to write. So here's a piece of crap for which I also apologize. I still hope you enjoy it :).

**On the previous chapter : **

_"He remembered how proud he had been to have his wings when he was just a kid. To feel them, to touch them, to fly with them and kill with them._

_What is an angel without his wings? Absolutely nothing._

_He swore that he would avenge himself. And every single person standing on his way would die."_

* * *

**PART II.**

**Chapter 1.**

Wings of Fire

φ

* * *

_Take me to church_  
_I'll worship like a dog at the shrine of your lies_  
_I'll tell you my sins and you can sharpen your knife_  
_Offer me that deathless death_  
_Good God, let me give you my life_

* * *

She stayed beside him the entire time, sleeping whenever he was and staying alert when he was moaning and groaning in pain. But every minute that passed, she was there for him, squeezing his hand and whispering smoothing words in his ears in order to relax him. And the entire time, he was glad for her. He was grateful for her presence, her lips against his feverish skin, her voice calming down the shivers and traveling down his veins, cooling the fever and the pain. He couldn't move a muscle, the pain too overwhelming and at some point, his mother came to see him, screaming when she saw his back and throwing things across the tent. She kept repeating that she was going to kill her but before that, she was going to make her suffer and regret what she had done to her son. To her king.

And that was it, really. He turned on his side, hiding his frown because of the pain and sat up in the bed where he was alone. He hadn't even registered when Reyna had left the tent. He kept losing consciousness and coming back to the surface. But he had enough. Enough of the pain and the rage inside of him. Enough of the pity his soldiers were offering him. Enough of the weakness he was feeling. He was a king. And he wasn't going to lie in bed for days when a war was raging outside his walls.

So he stood up, struggling to stand on his weak legs and dressed as he usually did. He put his black shirt on, closing every button to the top and adjusting his collar, throwing his black cloak on and winced a little as the heavy velvet clothe caressed the skin of his back. Then he put his black jeans on and finally his boots, finishing up with his crown on the top of his head. And he stepped outside, his wolf walking elegantly beside him.

Patroclus saw him first, his jaw dropping at the sight of him, then Reyna turned and watched him with a frown that told him she didn't agree of this. Not at all. He smiled at the two of them and walked away from them. He ignored the glares of his soldiers and the friction between the fabric of his shirt and his skin, making it burn and itch. He cracked his knuckles and his wolf groaned, almost as if he could feel his master's pain. They both stepped into the woods, away from the camp and its population. Away from the noise and the curious eyes.

He wanted some time alone, to recollect himself and his thoughts. To forget what had happened two days ago and to do that, he needed silence. He needed a certain solitude and peacefulness. Once he was deep into the woods and sure that no one had followed him, he knelt in the grass, his palms caressing it and his knees digging into the earth. He closed his eyes, letting his thoughts fade slowly, leaving his mind and the silence made him sight in relief. His wolf lied beside him, his eyes scanning the woods.

He had no other choice. If he wanted to put an end to this war and win it, he had no choice.

So he started praying.

φ

"_You know the risks of doing such a thing, don't you Perseus?" Of course he knew. But he didn't care. "Alright then. Let's begin."_

_The man he knew so well and who raised him started chanting in Latin, a language Perseus had always adored. Chaos's hand rested on his grandson's head with a certain lightness and fondness. Perseus closed his eyes, trying to ignore the fire building in his veins, igniting every cell and every inch of skin. Power. This fire he was feeling was the power of his brothers and sisters._

_When he opened his eyes again, after what felt like a lifetime, he was encircled by creatures coming out right from Tartarus. His brothers and sisters were standing around him, their dark eyes resting on him. And he stood up, a little smile appearing on his lips. _

"_It is done." _

_He looked at his grandfather and thanked him with a small nod of his head. He could see the sorrow in the old man's eyes, sorrow for what he had had to do, for the child he raised and loved who was now gone, replaced by a fearless and angry man. _

_In a blink of an eye, the creatures were kneeling in the dust and bowing their heads. He could feel their respect for him and he knew right then, that they were going to fight for him and share their power with him. That was all he needed. _

"_You all know why I am here," Perseus started, "and the reason of my deed. The war is raging up there, demigods and our own brothers and sisters are dying. I have asked for your help to win this war and to make sure no more of ours falls." He breathed heavily, trying to ignore the dizziness installing in his entire body, "we are one now. And I am grateful for your approval." _

_Hands reached out the touch him, to rest on his shoulder or against his side. He closed his eyes and let the power rise in him. The creatures of darkness started to chant loudly. Shadows came out of every side of Tartarus, floating and dancing around them as if to celebrate the rite. _

_And it was done._

φ

"Where the fuck is he?"

"Patroclus, if I knew such a thing, be sure I'd share the information."

"What the hell was he thinking, getting up like this and acting like nothing ever happened? He needs to rest, to gain his power again." His eyes widened at the sight of his king. "Shit."

He ran toward his friend, dodging the branches and trying not to fall. The woods were strangely dark and a feeling rose in Patroclus' guts, telling him something was definitely wrong. When he reached Perseus who was lying on his side, he failed at swallowing the gasp coming out of his lips. The king's eyes were wide open, as dark as ever, and his body was taken by spams, shaking and his mouth was open in a silence scream.

"Help me!" He yelled at Reyna who was accompanying him in his searches for the king.

She ran to him, her eyes full of concern and worry, and helped him sitting Perseus.

"What's happening to him?"

"No idea," replied Patroclus, his hands still clutching his friend's biceps, "but nothing good, that I can tell."

"What do we do?"

But the answer never came as a violent wind rose and the two friends were thrown away against a tree.

"Fucking fuck," muttered Patroclus as he tried to get back on his feet.

But his voice was lost when his eyes met the sight before him. Perseus was standing tall, his eyes still pits of darkness and danger, but the worst thing was probably the wings coming out of his back. They looked nothing like his previous ones, no beauty nor grace were found in these two things. They were made of pure fire, illuminating the entire woods and they screamed danger.

It wasn't Perseus standing before him. It was a demon wearing his face. It was the only explanation to such a fearful sight. Because this man wasn't his friend. He wasn't his king.


	21. Chapter 21

I don't know if I like this chapter, but hopefully you will. A little fluff never hurted anyone right?

**On the previous chapter :**

_"It wasn't Perseus standing before him. It was a demon wearing his face. It was the only explanation to such a fearful sight. Because this man wasn't his friend. He wasn't his king."_

* * *

**Chapter 2.**

Love of Fire

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* * *

_"I'm in love with you, and I know that love is just a shout into the void, and that oblivion is inevitable, _

_and that we're all doomed and that there will come a day when all our labor has been returned to dust, and I know the sun will swallow the only earth we'll ever have, and I am in love with you."_  
― John Green.

* * *

She looked at him, standing there in the darkness of the night, the very few rays of the moon shining in his black hair. She didn't dare to step closer, to put her arms around him. He scared her. With his black eyes and his posture like he owned the world and could destroy it with a simple snap of his fingers. He exhaled power and radiated it. The only thing she felt like doing was kneeling at his feet and show him her love, her gratitude and her fear. But there was no right way to do such a thing.

He didn't move a muscle when her chest met his back, he didn't flinch at the pain the contact created- if he was feeling pain anyway. He didn't knowledge her presence and she felt her heart sinking deep down her stomach.

"Percy."

He looked at her over his shoulder and when his eyes met hers, he went back to his former position. She refused to give up so she stepped in front of him, her hands on each one of his cheeks.

"Look at me," she ordered and when he did she moved closer, her forehead meeting his with tenderness, "speak to me."

"What is it you want from me, Reyna?"

"Everything," she tried to hold back her tears, cursing them in her mind. She wasn't going to be weak, not now and not ever again, "I want you and everything you can offer me. I want your love and your life. I want to feel you beside me and inside me."

"Isn't my heart enough?"

"I want to be the reason why you breathe."

"You already are. You are the reason why I fight. Why my heart beats and my lungs fills with oxygen," he kissed her lightly and withdrew before she could enjoy the soft touch of his lips, "you're the reason why I did it."

"No. You did it to avenge yourself."

"And you in the process. If someone hurts me, they hurt you too." He pressed his lips to her forehead, closing his eyes. "I'm sorry."

"A long time ago, you told me to never apologize for something you wanted to do."

"I didn't want to do this. I had no choice."

"We always have a choice, Percy."

"Then I choose life. A life with you. It's worth it," he inhaled, closing the gap between their bodies, "I choose to live beside you and love you every second of each day. I would choose drowning in blood while holding your hand instead of dying away from your heart and skin," he kissed her again, "I would always choose you, my love."

"Then fight with them. Win this damn war and live beside me."

And he did. He fought like he was possessed by demons, which he was. At every blow, every attack and movement he made, he could feel his brothers' power. They were fighting with him, giving him more power, more strength, and more accuracy. Every enemy finding himself on his path also found death. He lost himself in the battle; in the rage living inside of him; in the need to avenge himself and his fallen soldiers. He fought for Reyna and for a future where they could be together. He fought for his army and his kingdom. He fought for the Earth and the humans. He fought because it was the right thing to do.

The ritual that bonded him with his brothers coming from Tartarus gave him enough courage to face a hundred enemies, to cut their throats or bellies and to end this war.

The sun was meeting the horizon when the battle ended. He looked around himself, finding an endless sight of corpses and blood on the ground, a few soldiers and demigods still standing but clearly exhausted. He saw Reyna with her blade in her hand, still bloody, and the sight was beautiful. She was beautiful with her dark hair assembled in a braid, blood spattered on her face and rage furrowing her eyebrows. She definitely looked like a queen.

"She's sure as hell made of steel," Patroclus's voice rose behind Percy, "just like her lover."

"I ask no more of her." He smiled, his eyes still focused on his future wife.

"I think you found the right one, Your Grace."

"I surely did."

"May I ask you something, my king?" When Percy nodded, he continued, "when are you going to get rid of your brothers' spirits?"

"When the war is won."

"Then I hope it will happen soon."

Percy hoped it too. It was unsettling to feel the spirits of his brothers and sisters inside of him, to feel their strength but also their rage. But it was a necessity. He had bonded himself with them in order to fight off Gaia, to kill her and stop the war. He didn't regret the decision a single second.

It had been hard at first. It took him a day or two to stop the voices and screams inside his head, and then he had to control his strength. But now he was the master of his body and mind again, and he perfectly knew how to take advantage of the spirits' anger or blood thirst.

"I do too, Patroclus."

But deep down he was afraid. Afraid that the taste of such power leave him wanting more. No men should hold so much power nor strength. And even though he wasn't a man, he still felt like one. He had the same feelings, the same thoughts as another human so he could be as greedy as one. But he had Reyna by his side and he had known power since he was just a child; he could fight off his brothers' spirits and go back to being a king to a kingdom he loved and a husband to a woman he adored.

But before all this, he had to fight Gaia. He had to fight her and to kill her. Fighting her army had been difficult and Perseus knew he had lost many of his soldiers in the process. But there was nothing he could do about it. War was war and it was not the first he had to lead nor to be a part of. He knew what it felt like to take a life and to watch it leaving his friends' bodies.

"Sir," a voice said beside him and there was no doubt the voice was Nico's even though it sounded a bit wrong, "we've found Gaia's position."

He couldn't help the smile from appearing on his split lips. "Good," he simply replied while still looking at Reyna. He finally turned to face Nico again and when his eyes discovered the amount of injuries displayed on the demigod's face, his smile flattered. "What the hell happened to your face?" He asked as his hand gripped the boy's chin and scanned the wounds.

"Stupid question, isn't it?"

It was. And he knew it. But he couldn't help the anger rising in his chest at the sight of Nico so injured and bloody. "Come with me."

He obeyed and fell into step beside the king, his hand still clutching at the hilt of his sword, more out of habit than in fear of a threat. Percy made him sit on the grass, in a spot far enough from the battlefield to be spared by the blood and body parts. He joined him on the ground, sitting in front of Nico.

"Don't move, even if you feel weird or in pain, got it?" The wounded demigod nodded and let the king cup his face in his hands.

What happened next would be impossible to describe for Nico. He could try to describe you the feeling that rose in his entire body, as if every cell had woken up after a long sleep, as if his brain had been shut down and was finally turned on, but even that wasn't exact. His body finally relaxed, his muscles sighing in relief and he melted in the king's touch. When he opened his eyes again, Percy was watching him closely, waiting for something.

"What did you do?" He asked as his hands traveled down his face, his fingers brushing his lips and neck. He found no wounds. He was perfectly fine.

"Better?"

"Huh, how… Yes, I mean yes but," he couldn't find the words. He had never witnessed something like this, something so beautiful. He felt peaceful now as if his body and mind were new, that they knew no war and no wounds. "How?"

"A little magic." The king was smiling. Genuinely smiling at him.

It was strange to look at this dark king, with his dark clothes and golden crown, with blood covering parts of his face and clothes. It was strange to look at him and feel so good.

"Why are you being nice?"

A little laugh escaped Perseus's lips, and Nico found that he liked the sound of it, "why shouldn't I be?"

"Oh where to begin?" He replied with sarcasm, "you're a god, you should feel proud and superior. You should be annoying and completely full of yourself. You're powerful, so you should take advantage of it and scare anyone you meet, including me. And you're a king. You should be unapproachable, untouchable and fucking scary." Nico laughed bitterly as he remembered how the other Olympians acted, "should I continue?"

"Are you saying I am a puppy?"

"Well, a frightening puppy but… yes?" He pronounced the end of the sentence like a question as he felt less and less confident about what he was saying.

"I have failed myself."

Nico laughed and he couldn't help notice the little smile on the king's lips. "I am sorry to hear that, Your Grace."

"Not as much as I am."

"You should get that checked," proposed Nico as he nodded to Percy's neck. His fingers touched the wound there and came back golden.

"Yeah," he frowned and tried to remember how he had been injured and when. But he couldn't remember. "Thanks."

"My Lord?" The two boys turned their heads to find Reyna, clean and eyes focused on Percy.

"I'll leave you," announced Nico and bowed to the Praetor and future queen before leaving.

"I looked everywhere for you," started Reyna as she crouched in front of her lover, "and here you are, chatting with the son of Pluto?"

"He's a nice kid."

"I'm sure he is," she came closer, her lips brushing his, "but I didn't walk the entire battlefield to talk about Nico."

"Oh, didn't you?" He feigned ignorance, just because he liked playing with her, to see the glint of amusement in her dark eyes, to see a playful smile on her so-beautiful lips.

"Uh-huh." She pushed him so he was lying on his back and she moved to straddle his hips. "I was actually wondering when we'll be alone, just the two of us."

"In what purpose?" He smiled a little and she smiled back, proof that she was playing along now.

"Well…" she got dangerously close, her braid caressing his cheek softly, "I'm not really sure."

"You're not?"

He lifted his head from the grass and brushed her nose with his, smiling when she laughed with that adorable laugh he learned to worship so long ago. His heart seemed to inflate, to grow bigger and bigger until he thought it would explode in his chest, leaving him lifeless but smiling on the ground.

Oh, how he loved her. It struck him. Just like that. It struck him how much he loved her. And he loved to say the words aloud, to feel his lips pronouncing those foreign syllables that makes her heart skip a beat. Of course she knew his heart belonged to her, that every beat of it whispered her name with fondness and adoration. Of course she knew his soul and mind belonged to her, but it was a whole different story to say the words, to let them travel up his throat and meet the air, meet her ears.

But right now, he missed the words to describe how strong his feelings were for her. He wanted to tell her, to describe her how much he adored her but he couldn't find the words. He couldn't find the right ones, anyway. And he felt so helpless, so powerless to not even being able to do such a simple thing.

"Reyna," he started and she had to look up. She had to because the sound of his voice and the feelings hidden beneath it that made her whole body ache for him. He let his hand wander in her dark hair, his heart beating and calling for the woman above him. "Remember when I told you men like me couldn't find love?" He finally met her eyes and continued, "I was wrong. Gods, I was so wrong that day. All my life I thought love was my enemy, that he would only provoke pain and sorrow. But I was wrong about that too. Because when I look at you, I feel like love has no secrets for me; that your face and your soul is the personification of it. When I look at you, I can't help feeling the happiness from setting every cell of my body on fire." He smiled and inhaled, his eyes roaming over Reyna's face, "a long time ago my grandfather told me you'd be the reason of my rising and I see it now. I feel it now. He wasn't talking about becoming a King. He was talking about becoming a man."


	22. Chapter 22

Sorry for the wait but now that I'm in college, I won't be able to update as much as I used to. Still, enjoy this new small chapter :)

**On the previous chapter :**

"_"a long time ago my grandfather told me you'd be the reason of my rising and I see it now. I feel it now. He wasn't talking about becoming a King. He was talking about becoming a man."_"

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**Chapter 3.**

Blood of Fire

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"_Do not be afraid; our fate_  
_Cannot be taken from us; it is a gift._"  
― Dante Alighieri.

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She had often wondered how life would be when the war would finally be over. But looking at him, his eyes closed and the wind dancing in his hair, she didn't want to know. She wanted him to stay here, lying in the grass and a comfortable silence settled between the two of them. She wanted to look at him for as long as she could.

It was a strange thing to know that he would be going to war in a short time. That he would walk away from her, a sword in his hand and blood on his mind. It was a strange feeling in her chest, like a hole digging and digging until it met only bones and let her fierce heart free.

She wanted to put her arms around him and feel the heat of his body warming hers, to feel the strength of his arms under his armor and to welcome the feeling of safety coming with it. She wanted to hide her face in the crook of his neck, to smell his natural perfume and stay there.

She wanted to forget the war for just a minute, to forget how death was looming over them and smiling with cruelty and eagerness.

And sometimes, when she felt silly enough, she would dream about another life, another world where he was a simple boy and she was a simple girl. All that in a simple world. No war, no death and no kingdoms. They could be in love and live, enjoy it just as they wished to. But those dreams were quickly put aside, reality dooming them like a curse. Reality was a living nightmare and she couldn't free herself from it. There were no differences between day and night; it was all just an endless nightmare.

But the Fates had been kind enough to let a little sunray illuminate the darkness of her days. And it was lying right before her eyes; with its lips drawn into a small pleased smile and its green eyes closed. She guessed she should be thankful for him, for what he had brought into her life. But even that sometimes, didn't seem enough. It was like being underwater, struggling to breathe and to see a hand reaching for you desperately but not being able to grab it. She was the only one capable to save herself.

But she wanted him to know that she _was_ grateful. So she said the words. She said the three little words tasting so strange on her tongue and yet sounding like a melody wearing her voice.

And then he looked at her with surprise and happiness – oh the happiness in his eyes was so obvious she wanted to curl around it and never let it go. Her heart jumped at the sight of him – of him happy and alive. So alive. She never meant it as much as this exact moment.

She truly and utterly was in love with him.

And she still felt it – the pride, the strength, the need – when he walked away from her to put an end to this war that had lasted way too long in her opinion. She could see the confidence in his steps and in the way he was clutching the pommel of his sword but she knew that he was being careful. Careful to not be _too_ confident even though all the chances were on his side. Because he had told her that believing something wasn't enough to make it true, not enough for him to kill a goddess – to defeat her and the rest of her army. To stop a war.

But every fiber of her body believed in him. Trusted him. And somehow, it felt enough to her.

It would have been the understatement of the year to say that he was furious when he finally stood before her, a mocking smile on her lips and her brown dress dancing gracefully with the wind. She glanced behind him – where his wings would have normally been if visible – and the anger was like a wave overwhelming him, coursing through his veins and igniting his body. The sword felt much heavier in his hand and so much more present as if it was calling for him and telling him to do something, to step forward and use it as a sword should be used.

He wasn't afraid. He wasn't nervous. Because it felt right to be there and have those thoughts where the goddess was screaming in pain and her blood was on his hands. It was right, indeed.

"Are you still in pain, my King?"

He wished he was. It would have been a distraction to the fury curling inside of him. "_You_ will be soon."

"A threat, how charming. I forgot, while you were recovering, how your words were full of poison."

He smiled. "Like the taste of it?"

"I'd prefer the taste of your blood on my tongue child." She was having too much fun with this, he could tell by the way her brown eyes were shining.

"Shame you won't have the chance to." He drew in a breath and cut her short before her thoughts could be voiced, "as pleasant as this is, I am not here to discuss with you Gaia."

"Oh, my bad. I totally forgot you were here to die."

His sword was now yelling at him to use it, to dive it into her heart again and again until all life left her body.

The fate of an entire world was resting in the inside of his palm. Its weight was a burden he had to overcome, to carry until his other hand sealed it. But who was he really, to decide the fate of a world that wasn't his? But it was when he was looking into Reyna's eyes that he understood why this world was worth saving, by his own hand or by someone else's. He had never doubted that it was the right thing to do.

Maybe it was his own fate to save this world.

And he wasn't going to turn around now.

Not now and not ever.

He attacked suddenly, his muscles surprised by the lack of time between the decision and the act. His brain was repeating the same thing again and again: don't let her get close. Always think about her next move. Don't let her get close. Don't let her kill you.

And his sword met hers again and again. She's full of rage and he's full of determination. She's screaming at the top of her lungs, screaming at the world that she wish to be hers, screaming at him; and he's silent. She's blinded by fury and he's focused.

Blow after blow, the world around them disappeared and it was only them and their swords. Only them and the fate of a world between them.

He parries her attack, blocking it with his blade and he only registers the little burning in his guts before he understands.

The burn turns into a fire.

The fire turns into agony.

And he understands.

He hears screams behind him. Or are they in his head?

Oh, the agony. He can't think straight. He can't move his hands away from the stab wound and soon they become as golden as his crown on the ground.

He see the dagger in her hand, the one hidden under her sleeve. The one she took out when he had his sides unprotected because he was too focused on her sword. The one that cut right through him.

The world start crumbling inside his palm.

But it can't be over. Not like this.

So he rise from his knees and they buckle under him but he stays up. A broken king and a broken army. A fallen crown and blood at his feet.

It can't be over. Not this fast.

She looks at him with victory in her brown eyes and pride. It makes him want to vomit. Or is it because of the blood in his throat?

_Brothers, brothers. This can't be the end. _

And suddenly it isn't.

His body moves on its own, ghosts surrounding him and screaming in his head. They speak in his motherly tongue and some words leave his lips and the goddess in front of him starts to understand. Understand that this is not the end.

He strikes and she answers back. Again and again. His blade meet the skin of her arm and she cries out in pain and surprise. He's full of rage. Because he's full of grief. Not his own, but it doesn't matter. It's his fuel, his reason to fight her and shed her blood.

She tries to dive her blade into his shoulder but he dodge it at the last second and she's frozen, so sure that her sight might be tricking her. He was right there and then wasn't. Her sword only met air when she was so sure it would met his flesh and his blood.

That's when she sees a different blade coming down. Coming down and down. She can't stop it, no matter how bad she want it. And her sword is falling on the ground, her hand still holding it. There's golden blood everywhere, on the floor and on her severed arm. She can't tore her eyes away from the horrible sight of her arm cut at the wrist and her hand on the floor at her feet. First she feels horror, grief, despair and then, rage.

The earth starts to shake beneath her and she looks at the king before her, ordering the ground to rise and swallow him. Swallow him, bury him and turn him into a corpse. Erase all beauty from his face and all strength from his body. Turn him into void and silence.

But there's a fire behind him and it takes the shape of wings. Magnificent wings, burning and rising in the air with a promise of pain. His feet leave the ground and just like that, she's powerless again. How he's still alive, she doesn't know, and how a bow appears in his hand, she doesn't know either. Maybe she had underestimated him and maybe she should have been more careful. But the thing is, there is nothing more to do than watch a dark arrow being armed and fired. There is nothing more to do than the feel the pain burning her inside and then feeling another one piercing her heart.

Maybe he isn't the king. Maybe it's an angel coming right out of Tartarus, the kind that would make your heart stop with a single glance. The kind that would set you on fire with a simple gesture of his hand.

He's coming down at her now and his hand is around her throat. She thinks she knows what he's about to do but she's wrong. He doesn't choke her. And the most horrifiying thing is not the close presence of death nor the way it seems to claim her. But his eyes. His eyes are a pit of fire she had seen so many times before. He really is an angel coming from Tartarus. He is no king, no man, no god. He's death. He's fury and fire. And it's the only thing she sees before the pain makes her scream and make her eyes roll back. Because he dive his blade toward her abdomen, again and again and again until he's covered in blood, his and hers, and until the air is gone from her lungs and her heart is silent.

And she's the fruit of a burning fury. A fury burning bright until there's only ashes left.

And that's what she is now. A fire then ashes.

He watches as the goddess disappear behind a wall of flames.


	23. Chapter 23

A little something because unfortunately, I don't have much time to write anymore. Hope you enjoy.

**On the previous chapter :**

_"He watches as the goddess disappear behind a wall of flames."_

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**Chapter 4.**

Circle of Fire

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"The path to paradise begins in hell."  
― Dante Alighieri.

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That was it.

She couldn't believe it, she couldn't make her brain realize that Perseus's sword was indeed cutting the goddess from the inside and killing her oh so slowly. She couldn't process the fact that she was screaming and dying. _Dying_.

And then his left wing touched her face as if stroking her cheek lightly before setting her on fire. Oh the irony. She had wanted him, she had wanted him to fight beside her and be her mate and now his touch – his very touch – was burning her but not in the same way. It was in a deadly way and not a lovely one.

And he finally looked like a god, fire burning around him and consuming the oxygen, the grass and thick black smoke rising in the air along with the sickening smell of burned flesh. He had looked too often as a human – as a lover – that she had forgotten who he truly was and what color his blood was. But she could see it now.

She wanted to join him but Patroclus's hand was already around her wrist as if he had sensed her intention. But if he really knew, he wouldn't be holding her back but stepping aside and blushing with embarrassment. She wanted to taste his lips, even tainted in his victim's blood. She wanted to feel his skin brushing hers. And no amount of muscles was going to stop her.

He released her when the cheers of the soldiers and crowd was drowned by another scream. It wasn't one of victory or happiness. It was one of pain and terror. And her eyes were drawn to the shadow of the king, on his knees and his forehead planted in the grass. She tried to step forward, horror and anxiety blooming inside her like ivy, growing and growing, but the flames rose even higher and his scream followed it, until they both reached the empty gray sky above.

Reyna stopped dead in her tracks, afraid that perhaps she was the reason of this change. She simply watched from afar as Perseus howled in pain and she shivered and whimpered at the sound of pure and heavy pain, terror and rage. It was a torture to look at him and it was a torture to look away.

She had no idea what to do. Run to him or run away?

_Share his pain_, whispered a small voice in her head. _Share his pain as he did a long time ago with you_. And she remembered this moment like it was the day before. When he had come to her at the back of her cabin, his eyes gleaming in the moonlight and when he had tried to teach her how to tame her new power. And how it had failed. When she had been in pain and he had had no idea what to do to help her, he had shared her pain and took it away entirely.

So she closed her eyes and focused on his screams. Nothing happened, she could only feel the air slapping her face and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't focus on his pain nor on his feelings because she was too damn focused on her own. She inhaled deeply, letting her thoughts die down, slowly replaced by her future husband's screams. Nothing, nothing, _nothing_. She could only feel her own panic burning her insides and making her heart beat so fast, it threatened to rip out of her ribcage. What was she supposed to do? Could she do something at all? Her breathing started to accelerate. There was only her and her own panic that she shared with the soldiers standing behind her. _Nothing._ Panic slowly became anger. Anger at herself mainly but also at the world for not helping the one she loved.

So she inhaled deeply and tried to remember the first time she had seen him in the woods, hurt and unconscious. _Nothing. Only his screams. Only his pain. _She remembered the first time she had heard his voice and the first time she had felt his lips on her own. _Try to remember. Try, try, try._

That's when she felt it. The burning inside her chest, at first a simple warm sensation then _oh so slowly _becoming less and less comforting; turning into a fire – a real and dangerous one – turning her into a pit of pain. It was as if her entire body, inside and outside, was being liquefied and stabbed a hundred times before becoming a pool of blood on the grass. But even when it felt like too much, like she wasn't on Earth any longer but in Tartarus, she kept his lips in mind, the love she had for him, and the urge to help him. And that was it.

She could feel the burning, the heat surrounding her and eating her from the inside. She was him. She was his pain and his terror.

"Tell me what to do," she whispered, hoping he could hear her voice inside his mind, "tell me what to do and I'll do it." There were no tears in her eyes and she wished there were. But she wasn't just a girl with a goddess as a mother. She was a queen with a steel heart.

She wasn't expecting an answer, she was simply desperate for a sign, but she couldn't help feeling a sinking sensation taking over her body when he didn't answer at all.

But it didn't matter. Her decision was already made. So she let her feet guide her toward the circle of fire and toward him. She couldn't feel the heat from the flames, it was already deep inside her. So she put her foot inside the circle and joined Perseus in his own hell.


	24. Chapter 24

I'm so sorry for the lack of update and the short chapters. I'm spending my whole time studying or being with my friends. I will try to update more in the future :)

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**On the previous chapter :**

_"So she let her feet guide her toward the circle of fire and toward him. She couldn't feel the heat from the flames, it was already deep inside her. So she put her foot inside the circle and joined Perseus in his own hell."_

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**Chapter 5.**

Hell of Fire

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_At some point, you have to stop running and turn around and face whoever wants you dead._

_The hard thing is finding the courage to do it._

**\- **Suzanne Collins

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Some people say that when death come pick you up, the last things you see are the most important ones; your family, your loved one. But that only happens when death is nice enough to give you an unpainful death. Not when you're burning alive.

The only thing Percy could think about was the pain – the horrible and terrible pain – cutting his soul in a million microscopic pieces and turning his inside into jelly. He couldn't focus on anything else, there was only the pain inside of him and the one outside where soldiers lay on the ground, waiting for a quick death that would never come. The world, the universe was one big void of pain. A pain so brutal and devastating that he couldn't even remember his own name.

He felt it leaving slowly, and as desperate as he was at this moment, he couldn't help but hope that it was the end. The end of the pain or the end of him; at this point he didn't exactly care anymore. But a part of him was still aware that hope would bring nothing good, nothing at all even. Hope was something powerful, therefor dangerous and Percy had learned during his long life to be careful with it. Hope for something unreachable and you're putting yourself in a situation where your world and your heart are at stake. Not something anyone would ever want, especially not Percy.

So he let the hope vanish from his system, and even when the pain became bearable, he stayed in his position and waited for it to come back.

He became aware after a few seconds that _someone _was here with him. In his own inferno. Someone was carrying his pain and taking it from him. He could see long brown hair and dark eyes. Even in such a state, he would recognize Reyna. He would recognize her anywhere, at any time. No matter where she was or how much she changed. He would always recognize her. And there she was, in the circle of his own pain and sharing it with him in order to help him. He couldn't help but smile.

"Reyna."

She walked to him, extending her hand and smiling back. But he couldn't move and he couldn't take her hand. He had to face this. He had to overcome this pain. He had to in order to be freed of his burden. So he kissed her palm lightly, letting his lips travel down her hand until he reached her fingers. He kissed each one. He looked up at her and smiled. Her eyes widened at the exact moment she felt it. But it was too late.

He rejected her. He took his pain back from her – back to its rightful owner – and summoned shadows which threw her out of the circle. In a second she was gone, as if pushed away by a powerful gust of wind.

He focused on the spirits inside him, and freed them.

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"_Wow, okay, that is _super_ weird."_

"_That is not how a prince should talk." _

"_Who cares? I certainly don't." _

"_Percy!" _

"_Oh come on, don't act like Mom. You know I hate when you do that, Aether." _

"_That's why I do it, you little punk." _

"_Show me again!" _

_She opened her palms, and bright light appeared and rose in the air. Just like he could do with shadows but with brilliant and warm light. _

"_So cool!" _

"_I'm the goddess of Brightness. Of course it's cool."_

"_You're so full of yourself." _

"_Power does that sometimes, lil' punk."_

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"_The darkness inside of you will be your own end."_

"_Your bloodlust will never end, no matter what you do."_

"_She will never love you entirely, there's something so ugly inside of you, something that can never be loved." _

"_You're nothing but a monster." _

He screamed as voices echoed in his head, spitting insults at him, yelling and cursing at him. Memories, that's what they were. Memories of people's words he had forgotten, memories he wished he had never heard again. And he could see Aether's beautiful face in front of him, smiling down at him with genuine care and gentleness. His own sister had abandoned him when she realized who he had become. Who he really was inside. And it broke his heart to see the expression on her face turn into one of disgust and fear.

The spirits were punishing him. They were showing him memories that would hurt him and voices, words, insults that had been pronounced so long ago. And they were so good at punishing him.

"_You'll never be a man. You're barely even human. You're made of dust, shadows and blood; that is what you are." _

And all this time, he was screaming at the top of his lungs, waiting for the pain to reduce but never pleading, begging. Never.

_Monster, monster, monster._

"Go away!" He screamed, "get the fuck out of my head!"

He lost the track of time. How long did he stay there, half lying, half kneeling on the grass and yelling until he could taste blood at the back of his throat? The only thing that showed him it was finally over was when hands found his burning flesh and took his head to lift it.

"It's okay, it's over."

And his forehead was pressed against a shoulder. He could smell her perfume mixed with the scent of blood and sweat. And once again he recognized her.

"It's all over." And she sounded so close to tears it made his heart ache.

_She will never love you entirely. _He inhaled deeply, savoring the smell of her. _There's something so ugly inside of you. _He felt her hot tears landing on his cheek and he cupped the side of her neck with his hand. _Something that can never be loved. _And he opened his mouth.

"I'm in love with you, Reyna. I hope you know that." His voice was so wrong and he felt blood on his lips, but at the moment he didn't care. "I'm so pathetically in love with you and I know there are parts of me you still don't know about, but I will learn to hide them so you can love me better. Because I don't need anything else than you." He lifted his head to look her straight in the eyes, "if you asked me to choose between my kingdom and you, know that I wouldn't even need to think about the answer." He smiled and Reyna could see blood on his teeth. "I would always choose you. And I hope you would always choose me."


	25. Chapter 25

Ah how I love writing this story. I forgot how much I loved it until I wrote this chapter. I have no idea why, but I just did and I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did while imagining it. Longer chapter full of fluff and ininteresting things but hey, who cares? It's a long chapter.

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**On the previous chapter : **

"_"if you asked me to choose between my kingdom and you, know that I wouldn't even need to think about the answer." He smiled and Reyna could see blood on his teeth. "I would always choose you. And I hope you would always choose me."_"

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**Chapter 6.**

Tiara of Crystal

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"_The real lover is the man who can thrill you by kissing your forehead or smiling into your eyes or just staring into space._"

― Marilyn Monroe.

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_It's over._

The taste of those words – of this miracle – was like pure honey on Reyna's tongue, like silk on her skin, like the much needed warm touch of her lover. It was beautiful. It was heaven.

But the sight of Percy, lying in a pool of his own blood, pale and shaking transformed the honey into a rotten and sour taste that made her stomach heave.

He was immediately fed ambrosia and nectar, a cloth pressed against his deep wound to stop the bleeding and after a few minutes he was back on his feet, still looking frail and pale but Reyna knew how strong and stubborn he could be. He would refuse to stay here and rest.

So she joined him on the back of his black and massive horse, circling his waist with her aching arms, tightening her grip just to make sure he was truly there – that it wasn't the fruit of her strongest desires. But he was really there, exhausted and hurt, but there. She could feel the way his body was giving up, the way his muscles were relaxed as if he was going to fall asleep at any moment.

"You going to be okay?" She asked, her lips barely touching the top of his ear. She felt a shiver course down his back and she smiled with pride at the effect she had on him even in his state.

"Don't worry about me." He hit the horse's flanks with his ankles and the animal obeyed its king's order, starting to race forward. "I'll be fine." _I always am, aren't I? _The words weren't pronounced but she could hear them underneath his tone.

And she couldn't not believe him. He had always overcame every single obstacle, every battle and every wound with bravery and strength. How could she not believe him?

She placed her forehead against the back of his neck, seeking the comfort of his body against hers, searching for the warmth of his skin. She wanted to feel him – everywhere, absolutely everywhere – she wanted to be weak just this once. She wanted him to be strong for her just for a little while so she could rest her mind and her tortured body. So she could forget this war and the last few months too and simply focus on the body against hers and the lips of its owner. She wanted to feel like a girl again; not a soldier, not a Praetor, not a future queen but a simple girl in love with a simple boy.

She remembered his words before they left the battlefield – _I know there are parts of me you still don't know about, but I will learn to hide them so you can love me better_ – and wondered what he was referring to. But it didn't matter. She knew who he was, who he had been before they met and even before her birth. She knew all that, she had seen the darkness inside of him, she had touched it and feared it. She knew what kind of monster was sleeping in him and back then, she had been afraid of it. But she wasn't this girl anymore. And she had already learned how to love them. She loved every part of him, dark or light.

She couldn't see Percy as a monster; a monster isn't one anymore when you love him.

She watched the sun set behind the green hills, its color – orange and deep yellow – giving the impression that the grass and the trees turned into a liquid gold, beautiful and comforting.

_It's over._

They had won. They had defeated a goddess, a Primordial, the earth itself and they had saved the mortals' world.

They were free. They were alive. They were victorious.

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She barely registered it when she was laid out on a soft mattress. She could feel the silk under her fingers but she had no idea where she was and how she got there. Her mind and body was too exhausted to open her eyes, to try and understand what was happening. A second before she had been sitting on a horse's back and dozing off, trying to stay awake no matter how strong the exhaustion was hitting her. She felt the mattress sinking under someone else's weight and she smelled a light perfume – of fire and wood, of horse and sweat – but undeniably his perfume.

A little moan escaped her lips when his found the flesh of her neck, so warm and so welcoming. She lost herself in the sensation, the feeling of want and need mingling with her blood and making her heart race as fast as it could without exploding. She felt him chuckle against her skin and it felt so good to hear it, she could almost taste his laughter on her tongue.

"Missed me?" His voice was hoarse with desire – to have her close. To have her, period.

"Can't tell," she answered smiling at him when he looked up at her. "Did _you_?"

He kissed her cheek then her brow, her forehead, the tip of her nose and smiled back, letting his lips linger against hers without ever touching.

"What would do if I didn't?"

"I'd cut your heart out and feed it to your wolf."

He kissed her then, feverishly, entirely, deeply. Not letting a single millimeter undiscovered. And she moaned in his mouth when his body mingled with hers, and he savored the taste of it, the taste of her voice, of her pleasure along with the consequences it had on his body. It felt as if every cell of his body was electrified; high on ecstasy. Pure bliss. It was the most beautiful thing.

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"What are you doing?"

"Taking it off, obviously," he replied while taking the bandage which encircled his abdomen in his fingers before unrolling it. "I can't breathe with this thing." It was off before she could open her mouth and a long scar appeared, still red and sore. She let her fingers hover over it, wishing she had the power to make it fade away. "It's okay you know, I have a lot of those."

She knew that. His body was a map of scars, each one different, and each one painful to see. And she had kissed every single one of them. The ones on his back, from the time Gaia had cut his wings off and the other ones. The one on his chest and abdomen. The one on his arms and neck. She knew each one and had caressed them with her lips. His body was a world of scars she wished she could travel.

"I know," she finally answered and kissed the new scar, provoking a sharp intake of air from Percy, "They are a part of you. So I'll learn to love them."

He lied back on the bed, turning on his side to face her and resting his hand on the curve of her hip.

"As I'll love each one of yours." He replied while tracing the pattern of an old scar on her upper arm. "If not already."

She smiled fondly at him before turning to lie on her back and gazing at the golden ceiling stretching above her. She retraced the drawings and forms carved in it with her eyes; every corner and every flower, every wing and every star.

She loved his room and the fact that it was too dark and too wealthy. It was so different from the room she had occupied at Camp Jupiter for many years.

It was hers now too.

"Will you be here when I wake up?" She asked quietly as if afraid the shadows might hear her. Might hear her weakness.

"Promise," he rested his forehead against her temple, slowly breathing her in, "and tomorrow too. And the day after that. And for the eternity, if such is your wish."

She imagined waking up next to him until it became something common; something that wouldn't surprise her any longer and she realized that she couldn't imagine it. It was not something her thoughts could fathom. Because Percy was everything but common and being next to him was like magic coursing your veins and igniting your every senses. It couldn't become something ordinary.

Nothing about her love for him was ordinary.

"I wish Chaos would have been here."

She didn't ask why because she already knew the answer. And she couldn't bring herself to pronounce stupid clichés sentences such as _I'm sure he'd be proud of you _or worse _wherever he is, he's watching you. _The words didn't sound like a good idea and she would have hated herself if they had left her mouth.

She didn't answer for a few minutes and a comfortable silence settled between the two of them and he watched with intensity every blink of the eye he could see, how the eyelashes fluttered close and opened once again, all that in a heartbeat.

"Who else will be there?" She finally questioned.

"Hmm," he closed his eyes to concentrate, trying to see every face of every important person in his life and to the kingdom's wellbeing. "Not many. My parents perhaps and a few counsellors. Some of my siblings and cousins. Would you like to bring someone?"

"Yes."

She smiled while imagining Jason, Nico, Piper, Hazel and Frank all dressed up for her marriage. For her coronation.

It was a strange thought to think that they had known her as a demigod; as a Praetor; and now they would know her as a queen. It felt intimidating, knowing a whole kingdom was impatiently waiting to catch a glimpse of her, to hear her voice and see a crown resting on top of her black hair.

What a strange world she was going to live in. And what a strange sensation to know this strange world was going to be hers.

"I've seen the crown you know." Percy smiled with pride beside her, "it's almost as beautiful as you."

"Isn't it supposed to bring bad luck?"

"It's the dress," he laughed slowly but Reyna knew there was no intention of mockery in it, "and I haven't seen it."

"When will I be able to?"

"It's yours, you can see it whenever you want to," he ghostly caressed her neck with the tip of his fingers, drawing patterns she couldn't recognize. "I'm not sure they finished it though."

Her heart started racing in her chest as the realization hit her; she was going to get married. She was going to be proclaimed queen of an underground kingdom.

φ

Percy had been right. The dress wasn't finished. But it was glorious.

Golden pearls and diamonds created flowers and leafs on the transparent sleeves as if they were circling around the arm. The black tissue was an unknown material to Reyna, but it felt as if she was touching the Olympus when it met her skin. It looked like water cascading toward the ground and it was absolute beauty to watch it move. The collar was also transparent until flowers of pearls and tissue covered her breasts and belly. The bottom of the dress seemed to caress the ground with affection and that was what the maids could see in Reyna's eyes; affection. And bewilderment.

"Your Highness," the maid's voice woke Reyna up and she watched as the little woman knelt in front of her, presenting a tiara in her hands.

Percy had been right once again. It was beautiful. It was made of pure crystal, transparent and shiny little pics becoming higher and higher when they got closer to the top. She was persuaded she could kill a man with this. Or impale someone's head.

It was as deadly as it was beautiful. And she loved it.

"Reyna?"

She turned in time to see Piper's braided hair and Hazel's golden eyes before both girls literally jumped on her, hugging her as fiercely as they probably could. It was good to have them close again, as close as they had been before the war. And she felt a wave of relief crashing onto her; to know her friends were alive and well.

"Damn, are you going to put that on your head or going to cut someone's throat with it?" Piper asked as she eyed warily the tiara, now resting beside the dress.

Reyna couldn't help but laugh at her friend's expression even though she had thought the same thing a second earlier. "I think it's supposed to be my crown. But you never know what might happen."

"Ugh, this palace is so huge, we nearly got lost two times. And that, being with guards."

"Yes," Reyna agreed while looking at the wide room she was in, which she presumed was the sewing workshop with long tables all across the room and women running everywhere, speaking in a language she couldn't understand, "it really is."

"Oh and so dark. When you become queen, you _have to_ put some light. So gloomy it gives me the creeps." Continued Piper.

"Well, I kinda like it." Hazel smiled while looking at the room with wide golden eyes.

"Easy for you, you're a daughter of Pluto."

"It's crazy how many gemstones I can feel down here. They're absolutely everywhere," she remarked, ignoring Piper's words.

Hazel looked like a little girl lost in a candy shop while Piper eyed everything and everyone with care and suspicion. It was true that it was her first time in the Kingdom and being underground since the war might not look like the best thing.

"You can relax, Pipes," Reyna offered a little warm smile and gestured them to follow her down a corridor, "you're perfectly fine here."

"I don't like how the guards are watching us. I feel like they could kill me in a single second."

_That's because they can_. But Reyna didn't say it aloud, afraid it might set her friend ever more on the edge.

In a place that felt new and strange, having Piper and Hazel here felt a little bit more like home. Like she could actually live here, spend her days in the gardens or on a horse's back racing in the cornfields. And spend her nights in Percy's bed.

"Well, maybe we could –"

But Piper didn't have the chance to finish her sentence as Percy appeared at the corner of the corridor, closely followed by five guards. His stony face gave away a bit of its happiness when his eyes met Reyna's and he gestured his guards to stand back while he kissed his future wife's cheek with affection.

"Piper, Hazel," he greeted as he realized Reyna wasn't alone. "Good to have you here."

"My Lord," they both replied, a little impressed by the god in front of them.

Reyna had put this detail aside a long time ago. Percy wasn't a god to her; he was no different than the girl she was. But it felt strange to be reminded sometimes, that the man she was in love with was in fact very different than the girl she was.

He ushered her in a room, opening the first door he found and almost throwing her in it. Before she could be surprised by what had just happened and before she could open her mouth to ask what was going on, his mouth was on hers and his tongue was caressing her lower lip. She gladly opened it and met his warm tongue in between.

"Sorry," he finally whispered after a minute. Or was it an hour? "I missed you."

"You saw me twenty minutes ago." She laughed at his furrowed brow but it died when his mouth crashed against hers. "But you're right," she was cut off once again by his wet lips, "it was much too long."

"Just shut up."

And she did.

Especially when her back met a wall and her legs circled his waist.

She did shut up after that.


	26. Little message

Hey guys, missed me?

I know, it's been 5 months that I haven't uploaded this story and I sincerely apologize for this. I stopped writing Prince of Shadows once my life really took a new turn : college, new boyfriend, a job, driving license and all that. I hope you can understand that I completely stopped thinking about writing fanfictions and actually, stopped writing at all since I had no time to do it.

**That doesn't mean I won't ever start writing again.**

The Prince of Shadows is by far, the work I'm the most proud of. I spent so much time and thoughts about this story that I'm not going to give it up like this.

I want to thank every person who left a little review since october, I've read them and all of them made me smile. I especially want to thank one of these person who left two reviews, both heartwarming. Thank you very much for your patience and your kindness but above all, your "loyalty" if I could say. Waiting 5 months for a new chapter and never giving up is amazing and that's why I'm posting this message today. Thank you.

**The story is not over.**

New chapters will be coming soon, once I finish my exams and finish my first year in college which will be in about 2/3 weeks. Expect a new chapter very soon. I just need to reread my story and start thinking about where to take it from where I left it.

Thank you all again.

See you soon. x.


	27. PART III

Hi to you all,

It's been a month now that I've posted my little message, and here I am with a little snippet of what is coming and a lot and a lot of motivation to continue and finish this story.

My first year of university is over, and concluded on a success. Now, holidays are here and that for 5 long months! (Ah, the joy of being in university…) Which means I will have plenty of time to write and think about the next journeys of Reyna and Percy and all the other characters.

Hope you like these little lines, the first I write in 5 months. (Forgive me if they aren't that good, I think I lost a bit of my ability along all that studying and working!)

* * *

**PART III.**

"What is infinite?

The universe and the greed of men."

\- Leigh Bardugo, _Siege and Storm_.

* * *

They woke up to the sound of hooves against the concrete and the yells of men and women, along with the song of horses and flags swimming with the wind. It should have been a typical Tuesday morning for the King and the new Queen of Chaos's Kingdom but that was not the plan of this enraged father.

He remembered all too well the way his son had stolen the throne from him; the way he had mocked him in front of his own people; the way he had felt this day. And it was the same anger and resentment raging in his blood at the moment than it was on that day. The same feeling of vengeance and the need to taste his son's blood on his tongue.

He had felt powerless that day, alone and against the world. But today, it was different. Today he was riding with hundreds of his soldiers. Today he was ready to take what was rightfully his, and that no matter what he would have to do to get it. Today he would kill his son and King. Today he would avenge himself.


End file.
